This is from my friend Dawn.
Your dress wasn't seen at a design showroom, an upscale boutique, or a glitzy party this time, but in an outdated old-school church filled with Quilting Ladies. However, the Quilting Ladies (as I have dubbed them) are critical, opinionated and oh-so particular about sewing in any fashion.
I borrowed one of your dresses to wear to my dear Papa's memorial service. Yeah I know. I wish I had some fun party to go to, but it had a purpose. You see, my Papa and I had a long-standing inside joke about clean pants. He always changed into his best pants when I came over and carefully inspected my pants upon my arrival. There were big apologies to make if they were sub par. He also would lament about the day that I might wear a clean dress and then he just wouldn't be able to measure up. I'm not sure he ever did see me in a dress other than on my wedding day. :( So when it came to his service I couldn't just have any dress. It had to be special. And seeing that I only have old bridesmaid dresses in my closet, the hunt began... I tried on The Morrison (from April) and knew it was perfect. (Myles clinched the deal by stopping in his tracks and staring at me with his giant blue eyes and telling me I was beautiful...)
Little did I know what a stir it would cause! It began when I stepped out of the dressing room after changing. Some little Quilting Lady held me at arm's length, spun me around for a glance at the back, and uttered 'Hmph!" She let me pass.
At the end of the service a lady approached me. I could tell she had a mission and meant business. She said very sternly that my dress was not purchased at any old store. She and her Quilting Ladies had been discussing and analyzing it. (Can't you just see the group of old ladies plates full of jello salad and their hub-bub in the back of the outdated church hall???) She asked, with her tone laced with skepticism, if I had made it. My grandma is the Queen of the Quilting Ladies so it just might be possible that I was a prodigy... She was quick to respond to my answer that I hadn't made it, by describing to me how she knew I couldn't have because of how the pattern was matched in the back, the daring pleats, the lining and so forth. She went on and on and gathered a little audience. I probably had 5 conversations that day with a 'representative' from the Quilting Ladies.
I'm sure you are not really targeting the Quilting Ladies in your marketing, but thought you'd like to know you are now known, respected and passed their inspection!
Love,
Dawn
The pic was taken by her brother-in-law, Ryan.
