Competition

I finished the gown this morning.

And then Kelly and I went out and got the shoes that she'd need to compete in. Ouch. Wasn't really expecting that expense, but they should last her for a good long while. And then we got her pantyhose, and hair-colored bobby pins, and we never got a navy blue camisole, so she'll just be going commando on top.

It's not a fancy-pants gown, but it does have a full circle skirt for the top layer. It was a pain to hem. There's a more A-line skirt as an under layer, so when you spin, you get a nice look. There were so many regulations for the dress. It had to be a solid color. It had to be a dark color. It could not be shiny. It had to be completely un-embellished. It couldn't have frills or lace. It had to be within two inches of the knee. It could not show any decolletage. It had to have a minimum width of shoulder strap (I hope they're not too picky, because we might be a little bit shy of regulation here). They had to have un-remarkable shoes, with suede soles, and less than a one inch heel. They must wear hose. The hose must be nude. They may not wear make-up. They may not wear jewelry of any kind. They may not wear nail polish. The hair must be in a bun. It must be secured with pins that are the same color as the hair. There may not be any embellishments in the hair. The list goes on and on.

Why yes, that would be BOTH of the gowns I made. I will admit that the second one (Kelly's) was just every so slightly easier to make.

I got her hair right on the first pass. Thank you Jesus for small miracles.

And then, just as we were getting ready to go to the final practice, my parents drove up in their motorhome.

So both grandmothers got to come with us to the practice. And when I got to practice, I was pleased to see that the teacher had managed to snag two tickets for tomorrow's competition. Kelly will need one to even get in the door, even if she is a competitor. And I'll use the second one, and take piles of photos.

Now she just needs to paste on a smile, and look like she's not expending any effort...

And this will all be over this time tomorrow.