Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Sewing (02/22/07)
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TITLE: DAN RIVER DOLLIES | Previous Challenge Entry
By Patricia Williams
02/24/07 -
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“Hey, look at all these clean plates. Ready for dessert?” Ear to ear smiles could be seen before I even finished my sentence.
“Mommy, I ate all my carrots. I didn’t feed them to Spunky under the table either,” Randy said proudly.
“Good boy, I’m proud of you,” I said, kissing his little blonde head and giving him his dessert.
What an awesome sight. My seven little dolls gathered around the table enjoying their dessert. Two in high chairs, one year old Linda sucking her chocolate flavored fingers, and two year old Laura’s with her chubby, chocolate covered happy face. Three year old Betty sat real petite, with her napkin tucked in her collar, eating every bite very slowly, as if to savor the flavor. Five year old Jo Jo was chattering to Betty. Randy took the opportunity to sneak a bite of Jo Jo’s cake and smiled his mastered angelic smile. Eight year old Leeanna was honing her mothering skills, while seven year old Ross was preoccupied eating his cake.
Jo Jo became aware a portion of her cake had disappeared. With hands on hips, she informed me, “Mama, Randy took some of my cake!”
“I haven’t swallowed it yet. Does she want it back?” Randy responded in a muffled tone.
“You need to swallow that. Drink some of my milk,” Ross, the older of the two boys instructed.
Sounded like a good idea until Randy started choking on the milk and cake. Racing over, I grabbed him and pounded on his back as I nearly turned him upside down, causing the evidence to promptly fall out on the floor.
Doug, by this time, was looking sternly at Randy. “She wasn’t eating it so I thought she didn’t want it, “ he declared as if totally innocent.
“Okay, Okay. Dinner is over. Time for your baths,” I instructed. “Leeanna, you grab the babies’ pajama’s, and we’ll clean them up and put them to bed.”
Finally, silence. The big table was cleaned and the dishes done. At last I could get started sewing on my newest project. Doug had surprised me by buying a whole bolt of Dan River Material. It was the first wash and wear material out, at twenty-five cents a yard. Although our finances were tight, he knew how I enjoyed making our little dolls’ matching outfits.
I retrieved the box that held my homemade newspaper patterns from the pantry. Almost reverently I took the black marker and crossed through Laura’s name and put baby Linda’s on it. What a story these pattern pieces could tell, they had been used for each little girl God had gifted me with. Leeanna and Ross were in line for new patterns tonight, they were growing up way too fast.
Removing the table cloth I unrolled the bolt of Dan River plaid material and began cutting out five little dresses and two little shirts. Doug came up behind me, put his arms around my waist, quoting Proverbs 31, followed by a big kiss.
Doug sat at the end of the table with his Bible working on his sermon. By the time he was ready for bed I had seven outfits ready to sew. Each child’s name was written on a piece of paper and safety pinned to their garment pieces. Every spare moment was spent sewing my projects of love. Buttons and lace would make each little dress a personal possession. Ross and Randy had picked their button preferences from the two gallon button jar I kept in the linen closet.
I finished sewing on the last button and hurriedly placed the outfits on each of their beds. I couldn’t wait for the girls to find their surprise Barbie Doll outfits. Each garment had a note attached which read, “I love you ‘sewwwww’ much! Mom.”
The school bus dropped the children off at the end of the driveway. The race for the house was on. When they didn’t find me at the sewing machine they knew their outfits were finished. A mad dash was made for their rooms. I could hear their girly squeals and the boys challenging each other as to who would get their’s on first. I knew Leeanna was dressing Linda, and Jo Jo was helping Laura put on her new dress.
I excitedly awaited their entering the dining room as I sat out their snack. They loved modeling their outfits. In moments my seven Dan River Dollies would put on a fashion show just for me.
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Would have liked to hear more dialogue among them throughout, or at least at some point later on in the story. It was the living characters in this--especially the small ones with their lively interactions--that really captured my interest and got me laughing!