4th of July: Slightly Skewed

"Cheese!"

This year was another success: tons of fun, plenty of fireworks (although not overhead next door), Barbara's cream-cheese-covered-pickles-wrapped-in-lunch-meat (to die for!), and traditions kept all surrounded by people that I love.

There are 3 traditions that I hold dear when it comes to Independence Day: 1) making an American flag cake; 2) making a 4th of July dress; & 3) attending Wendy's family's annual 4th of July party.  Number 3 went on uninterrupted without wavering but as for numbers 1 & 2, well, here's where things got a little skewed this year.

I started making American flag cakes for the party way back when I still fit in clothes I had hung onto since the 6th grade (I was in college at the time) & I happened to see an American flag cake idea featured on the cover of one of those ladies magazines you see at the check-out of the grocery store.  This year, I opted to use similar ingredients but not follow the traditional pattern.  The result was still red, white & blue, very patriotic & extremely delicious.

My second deviation came with my dress.  I first got the idea to make Independence Day dresses when I saw some fabric that was probably intended to be for table cloths on sale somewhere.  The year was 2003 and the fabric had stars & stripes and everything I was looking for in what would become the 1st of many patriotic dresses I have made.  I have faced much opposition in my choices for dress-making fabric.  What I most often hear is: "That looks a little more like pajama fabric to me." 

Someone brought ice cream for
all the kids - genius!

I wasn't sure if I would be able to pull off a 4th of July dress this year.  While I am currently out of school, I am in the middle of applying to nursing schools which has turned out to be MUCH more complicated than just filling out a piece of paper about my hobbies & interests.  Also, both boys are on summer vacations from their schools and, I tell you, Vinnie is one active two-year-old!  That boy's energy, strength and interests (climbing, destroying, jumping off of/over anything, etc.) matches any 3 kid's combined!  

Anyhow, I had given up hope until I found the perfect fabric just a week and a half ago that just screamed "Susie's Annual 4th of July Dress!!!" at me.  It is perfect.  It has red, white and blue and just a splash of yellow.  It is missing stars and stripes but is replaced with......... all-American bowling pins & balls!  I love it!  I gave up using patterns for my 4th of July dresses a few years ago.  This year, however, I did use a pattern for the neck line and sleeve guides (actually a blouse pattern from my collection).  The rest I came up with myself. 

Ta-Da!

There are those who are not admirers.  I know, shocking as it may be, not everyone shares my taste in holiday apparel or possesses what I call "the family eccentricity gene" (have you seen my mom's "Jasper Pearl" lime green car???).  What is funny about this is that I received the most back handed comments from my mom, of all people.  When I first started cutting out the dress, my mom suggested that, "Some day you should get some really nice fabric to make a dress out of."  HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!  While assembling the dress, she further encouraged me with, "I just can't wait to see what you're going to create next."  LOL!!!  The, hands down, BEST insight she gave this weekend was toward the end, when I put the finishing touches on the dress:  "You know, if you lined up all your 4th of July dresses and sent a picture in to What Not To Wear you'd get on that show for sure!"  HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!  Love you too, Mom!!!