Masquerade evening of glamour

No knitting this weekend but there was some sewing. Saturday morning I delegated childcare responsibilities to Mr M and locked myself in my sewing/guest room to finish this ball gown in time for the party on Saturday night. Thankfully I did manage to get it completely finished and pressed with a couple of hours to spare. It was actually a very simple bump friendly and colourful dress just as I'd envisaged.

The event was a 40th birthday party for the wife of an ex-colleague of Mr M. I'd met him a couple of times but never his wife. It's very odd going to a party not knowing the birthday girl. And I didn't even meet her on the night.

What a party! Most weddings are not this extravagant. Held at the V&A Museum the surroundings were just beautiful. It had a Venetian theme, hence the masks. I'd bought ours online and hoped that it matched my dress - luckily it did perfectly.

Back to the party. There was a string quartet on gondola in the middle of the lake in the garden. After we moved inside past the sculpture gallery there was a live band. The daughters aged 13 and 10 sang a beautiful song from Hairspray where they had adapted the words for their mother. They were incredible! Such confidence. I had tears in my eyes. Following the band were opera singers. Other entertainment included massages, makeup sessions, an ice cream stand (see picture above!) and a photo booth.

I'd actually managed to slip my feet into some 4 inch heels for the occasion. My legs held up quite well until about 11pm. By then I was ready to limp to the car and go home to my lovely soft bed. Y can imagine the relief when I took off my shoes and walked on flat ground. Bliss! But beauty means suffering, even when pregnant!

Sunbonnet Sue

When we arrived in San Francisco, my mother had a package for me. My aunt had made something for Miss L. I had no idea she was working on a project for Miss L. I also had no idea what it could be.

We unwrapped the package to find this Sunbonnet Sue quilt for Miss L's new room. It turns out that my great-grandmother had started sewing the Sunbonnet Sues decades ago and never finished the quilt. My mother remembers my grandmother having the pieces. Eventually the pieces made it to my aunt who kept them well-stored for years. She finished this beautiful quilt last month and sent it to us!

The fabric is in amazing condition and my aunt sewed a label on the back with her name and birth date and Miss L's great-great-grandmother's name and years living. Mister T hung it in Miss L's room so that it is the first thing you are drawn to when you walk in the door.





I can only hope that one day I can make such a treasure to pass along in the family. I did just learn that my neighbor has a sewing machine (and she quilts) and she offered to loan me the sewing machine if I ever want to learn to sew. But first things first, I must learn to crochet to follow in Mama N's footsteps.