A Spring Dress

It must be spring fever that has me thinking about summery dresses for my girl. However, the nice 60-degree weather days are slowly turning into 50-degree weather days with cold, blustery winds. And those few 50-degree weather days are turning back into cold wintry days. And, well, since it's February, I just have to happy that it lasted as long as it did.

At a recent thrift store trip, I found the perfect springy-summery vintage sheet. White with white and pink daisies. (Have I told you how much I adore daisies?) I kept thinking I would make dresses and/or skirts for Spenser and I in the spring, but that darn spring fever hit me and I couldn't wait another minute.


The dress started out in the fashion of a Simplicity 4206. And with a few tweaks turned into something drastically different. It's now sleeveless. And has a keyhole with a halter top.

The back crosses to an elasticized back. It's a little wonky on the hanger and at the side seams because I had already cut out and turned under the armholes all the way around before chopping off the top of the back. That left the casing for the elastic a little short to reach to the side seams and makes it bunchy.

My plan is that she will wear this with a t-shirt anyway. Long-sleeve now and short-sleeve when it warms up.

* * * *
Today we are going to visit my grandmother in the hospital. She is not doing well. At all. It is breaking my heart. What started as a cough and difficulty breathing one week ago (she has had congestive heart failure in the past), has turned into almost sudden dementia. They have run tests to see if she had a stroke, heart attack, urinary tract infection, etc. Her kidneys now seem to be failing. She was living alone and normal as can be one and half weeks ago.

I'm scared to death. Almost all of the people whom I loved the most have died suddenly. Without warning. There was no time to say good-bye. I mean, how do you do that? How do you say good-bye to someone you have known and loved your entire life? I am fighting back the tears when I think it may be the last time I see her. And when I think "what if my kids don't get to see her again?" it breaks my heart. How am I going to walk in there and pretend to be normal and cheerful and happy to see her when my heart is going to break into two? The only comfort is that my mother told me she has recognized every family member that has been in to see her. She forgot how to drink out of a straw yesterday, but recognized my sister and her family later in the day. I need to get my family in so they will have that last memory. That she knows them. And remembers them.