On a bright Saturday morning my daughter sews fancy dress. She makes it out of her head, from scraps of velvet and gift ribbon and bells.
And as she and her friends prepare for the party later in the day, I notice that Tegan, is wearing another of Bryony's creations (this one from a pattern),
Bryony's 16th birthday dress.
"I want a Marie Antoinette party,"
She ordered; well ahead.
She ordered; well ahead.
And so:
Mama planted a flower bed full of candy-striped petunias and decorated a garden bower:
Papa built the guillotine
and strung fairy lights through the orchard.
Big sister, Tina, decorated the cake - four tiers
draped with parti-coloured icing roses.
And everyone, including Uncle Hugh with his pair of pliers, helped with the dress!
As we sat and posed for Danielle to take this photo, I remembered birth and growing; her love of costume and play-acting; singing and dancing; the passing years and the miracle of modern medicine that brought Bryony back from her own brush with death - the ravaging onset of Type 1 Diabetes. Now I look at this photo and see our remarkable family about to fracture, but am happy all the same, that Elwin lived to see the third of his four daughters enter womanhood.
But now, her latest costume finished, this young woman is off to her party as... Tinkerbell.
12 comments:
Inspiringly lovely Jeneane! Magical and moving
Thankyou Claire. It's funny how this post grew, from delight in Bryony's creativity early in the day, to a reflective journey down memory lane.
Claire, I still can't leave comments on The Prodigal but am enjoying your reviews, and especially your own writing.
The dress was a bit problematic when I did the hugging rounds as there were little wires sticking out of the bodice :D
Ouch! My favourite memories of dress construction are how diligent you were with the 'boning' of the under-bodice: you effectively made a new fortified fabric! And your family dressing you even as your first guests arrived - you turning in a slow circle as Hugh threaded hoops of irrigation pipe through your petticoat.
love the "look" of this blog
cracking as wallace would put it
Hello John and Welcome to this Secret Garden fellow plantsman... and I note lover of old china, historic bits of paper, customs and country ways. "Cracking" - and my northern uncles say it too - what a great compliment :-)
Beautiful... how lucky you are to have them. Clearly bright and creative.
I don't know what we'd do without our two daughters...
You have two real French daughters :-) Only two of Elwin's daughters are mine; his older two are more like sisters to me. I forgot to mention Lara, with an electric drill, twisting wires together somewhere in that amazing story of a dress.
What a fantastically talented and very beautiful family. A credit to you as you are to them.
Why thankyou Steve :-) I suspect you are nurturing a couple of talented young men in your little nest too.
So sorry I'm late! No idea where time goes these days but it is playing hard to get.
Loving these costumes, my own Miss Scowly Teen loves Marie Antoinette and costumes etc, shame she can't sew.
I found an old post of yours recently where you had hired the Marie Antoinette video for your girls (I get strange links to your old - like 2008 - posts showing on my Preview page, but not my live page?) I wouldn't be put off by your lass not being able to sew. Bryony hasn't had any real tuition. Maybe you can borrow the dress sometime.
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