A Summer Gown for Katherine

My sweet friend Katherine and I have spent the past few months discussing different styles and fabrics for a new gown for her. At first, I was to make her a dancing dress but after thinking it over some, she thought a day dress style would be more useful for her. She wanted something very light since the heat of an Illinois summer can be oppressive, and something suitable for both wear during active impressions during the day and for dancing in the evening. We decided upon the "summer sheer" style of dress as the one most suited to her needs, and I was thrilled to begin making the gown up. In the middle of January, as it was when I began the dress, with snow and frost and ice in every direction when I looked outside, the soft, light fabric and airy style brought to mind times of warmth and liveliness and joy and great was my anticipation for the spring to come.

The fabric is an all-cotton voile, a very pale blue printed with viney motifs and darling dark blue and yellow flowers. The entire dress is unlined, except for the bodice, which has a half-high lining of white cotton. The fashion fabric is gathered gently in the center front and at the center back, and the skirt is fully gathered. The white cotton collar is simply basted in and can easily be removed for seperate laundering.

One feature that we included is the removable undersleeve. Katherine thought short sleeves would be very nice for dancing in so the long lower sleeve (a loose coat sleeve style) fastens seperately to the armscye, allowing the short ruffled sleeve to be worn alone if desired.
The dress is not quite done, as it yet needs to be hemmed (with a facing) and I need to make two petticoats to be worn beneath it, but it does not need much work at all and very soon it will be ready to be put away til the warmer weather arrives. And then, I will be so very pleased to see my dear friend wearing this gown! I think she will look beautiful in it.

Thank you all for your sweet concerns about my late absence. Our computer was in the shop due to its need of a new video card. Due to our computers age, such a video card had to be come by from "recycled parts" from other old computers. But, at last, it is installed and nicely working again.

I have much enjoyed my little break from the internet and from blogging. How sweet it is to focus solely on my children and husband and little household when I am not, at various times of the day, tempted to check the email or different sewing message boards or various blogs. The absence of such irresistible delights were a relief indeed, and I found my mind growing clearer from my abstinance and able to think more about different household topics and I have, in short, been much more industrious and cheerful since I have not anything else from the outside world to occupy my time. In fact, I have tried (though unsucessfully, but not without sympathy from him) to convince David to not have the internet in our home at all. For it is a really dreadful time-eater and its conveniences do not, in my opinion, outweigh its tendencies to sloth and idleness.

Thus, I do not plan to give up blogging completely but I do intend to make it a less frequent habit. I will try to post something once a week or so perhaps, but I have found through this change much that is an improvement to my mind and character.

Have a dear and beautiful day!

Love,

Sarah