The Sewing Queen

Competition - Day Three

Chapter 4

Olivia woke me up; we got sorted, had breakfast and were the first pair ready to start again today. I sat down at my work bench next to Olivia and plugged in my iPod and docking station. The sound of music always helped me work faster and when everyone else comes in I would just turn it off and put headphones in. But right now it was just the two of us and I had a lot of beading to do as I was only about half way through one of the two sides off lace to do. I also had to sort out the beading for the little capped sleeves and sew it all together all by the end of today. I think we have a chance to win this, as from what I heard from yesterday some people over spent by an extra £30 where we spent less than half. Our dresses are looking just like our drawing’s already which is a great sign.

“Hello girls? What you doing here already?” Maggie said walking into the work room.

“We’ve got lots to do” Olivia spat out over the music.

“Oh right, can I look at your designs today?”

“Yeah” I said handing mum my sketch pad. She looked at it with wide eyes then at my manikin then at what was on my work bench.

“I see what you mean; there is a lot of work here. Is that the front piece of beading?”

“Yeah” I replied sewing on the last bead.

“Well the best thing to do next is these capped sleeves. But don’t sew each bead on individually. Measure your shoulder cut out the fabric then cut a piece of thread just a little longer than the fabric and then thread the beads onto that. Each of your beads is half a centimetre long so you should use double the amount of beads than the length of the fabric.” She said picking up a tape measure and measuring my shoulder and drawing out on square paper the shape and right size to cut out the fabric, “It should be easier that way but you have to make sure each one is as close to the other as you can get it otherwise it will slide down. Call me over when you are on your last line”

“Maggie, can you help me?”

“Of course chick, what is wrong?”

“Well this is my design but I can work out how to fit this to this” I stopped listening to their conversation and carried on with my work.

“I’m going to go get a drink, does anyone want one?” I asked getting up.

“Yes please, a glass of water” Olivia said

“Alright”

“Thank you”

“You read my mind Lucie, can you ask Link to make me my normal coffee”

“Of course” I said knowing mums normally coffee was half a teaspoon of coffee, a pinch of cinnamon and one sugar. I left the room and walked into the kitchen, to find Link dancing to ‘I’m sexy and I know it’ while doing something by the cooker with he’s back to me, by dancing I mean shaking his bum around and bopping his shoulders. I couldn’t help myself to do anything other than burst out with laughter, causing Link to scream.

“Can I help you?” he said

“Other than making me laugh, yes”

“What can I do for you then?”

“I’m on drink duty”

“What? How? Everyone’s asleep?”

“Well, I’m not? And it’s not early either, it’s half nine”

“Fair point. What drinks do you want?”

“Maggie’s normally coffee, a glass of water and a glass of blackcurrant squash”