Victoria's Housecoat

Matching Dresses for Emma and Victoria

Hello Kitty Dress

For Joanna.

Fourth of July

    I sewed Larry’s entire shirt – a western, with nice coordinating flag prints on the main shirt sections – without ever once noticing that the flags on the right front were upside down.  But he’d only had it on five minutes this morning before Caleb said, “Oh!  Look!  Daddy, your flags are upside down.”

     But there was no time to worry about it—and worry wouldn’t have turned the flags right side up in any case.  I put on my sandals, yelled, “Everybody in the car!” and away we went.

     I’ll tell you what happened:  You see, the left side of the shirt was made of one kind of fabric, the right side of another.  I cut out the left side, spread out the flag print for the right side… put the pattern piece down, making sure the flags were right side up…  I was just ready to cut it, when I realized, Oops, I’m cutting out another left side.  So I flipped the pattern piece over… fitted it onto the material… and forgot all about flags being right side up.  I pinned, cut, and sewed, without ever giving it another thought.

     After we got home from the picnic, we received the following email.  I could’ve guessed who it was from even if the email didn’t have Bobby’s name at the top:

Subject: RE: Larry’s shirt

To whom it may concern:  According to international standards of flag-flying etiquette, the American flag, when flown upside-down (that is, with the stars in the bottom left-hand corner) is universally recognized as a symbol of distress.  To prevent all and sundry from rushing up and attempting to render first aid or other assistance, I recommend that Larry stand on his head whenever he wears that shirt in future.

Sincerely, Professor Smart E. Pantz

Yeah, we have a funny son-in-law.