Read Online Katy's Homecoming by Kim Vogel Sawyer - Free Book Online
Authors: Kim Vogel Sawyer
Ads: Link
Tieszen, bless her heart, has such a hard time seeing the information printed on the ends of the bolts, she has to pull everything askew. The whole shelf is a mess.”
Remembering the woman’s thick glasses, Katy nodded. “Sure, I can do that.”
She scurried to the back wall of the shop, where built-in shelves reached from the floor to the ceiling. Eachshelf held bolts of colorful fabric, which were usually standing upright like soldiers on parade. Katy rounded the corner and slapped her hand to her cheek in dismay. Half of the bolts had been pulled out and laid flat in haphazard stacks. The others were flopped sideways, leaning like a dilapidated fence after a windstorm. Calicos were mixed with paisleys, and two bolts of gingham had been moved from the top shelf to the bottom one. How could one woman make such a mess? Katy pressed her memory, trying to recall what Mrs. Tieszen had purchased. She snickered when she remembered.
All this rearranging for a quarter yard of plain blue cotton.
With a sigh, Katy set to work. An hour and forty-five minutes later, she brushed her hands together and smiled in satisfaction at the neatly organized shelves. When she turned to go ask her aunt what she could do next, her gaze fell on a bolt of fabric resting on the windowsill. With the sun streaming across it, the lavender fabric seemed to shimmer. Katy gasped in pleasure. She scooped up the bolt and smoothed her hand over the slightly stiff, sheeny fabric. She’d thought her purple tone-on-tone dress was made of the prettiest fabric she’d ever seen, but this lavender material was even lovelier.
Aunt Rebecca walked over and plucked the bolt from Katy’s hands. “Don’t put this on the shelves. I set it aside because I’m going to return it.”
Katy gawked at her aunt. “Why?”
Aunt Rebecca gawked back.
“Why?
Look at it, Katy!”
Katy looked. “What’s wrong with it?” The fabric appeared flawless, the smooth fabric such a delightful color. She imagined fairy princesses wore gowns of fabric like this.
Aunt Rebecca clicked her tongue on her teeth. “It’s organdy. None of the ladies in our fellowship would make a dress from organdy — too sheer.” She wrinkled her nose. “Organdy is fine for curtains or aprons, but can you imagine anyone hanging something that like in their kitchen window? It’s just too … gaudy.”
Katy gazed at the fabric. “It’s
never
used for dresses?”
Aunt Rebecca tapped her lips with her finger. “Well, yes, I suppose for specialty dresses — as an overlay for a silk or lightweight matelassé.” She dropped the bolt into Katy’s arms. “But it just isn’t practical. I must have written down the wrong number on my last order and received it by mistake. It needs to go back to the factory. So package it in some of that mailing paper in the storeroom and address it for me, would you? The factory’s address is on the pad beside the cash register.”
“All right.” Katy’s tennis-shoe heels scuffed as she moved to obey her aunt. She spread heavy brown paper across the work table then laid the bolt on the paper. The lavender against the plain brown made the fabric appear even more beautiful.
Cora and Trisha said all the girls wore beautiful gowns to the homecoming dance. Maybe I could use this fabric to sew a dress.
She drew squiggles on the fabric with her finger, imagining how she might look in the soft, shimmering lavender.
The sewing machine set up in the front window of the shop began to hum. Aunt Rebecca must be working on a project. Katy stared at the curtained doorway separating the shop from the storage area, her hands idle. She bit her lower lip. Aunt Rebecca expected her to prepare this fabric for return to the factory, and she should follow herdirections. Aunt Rebecca
was
the boss. But if this fabric went back, Katy wouldn’t have the opportunity to use it — if she decided to go to the homecoming dance.
She dashed to the doorway and threw the curtain aside.
Remembering the woman’s thick glasses, Katy nodded. “Sure, I can do that.”
She scurried to the back wall of the shop, where built-in shelves reached from the floor to the ceiling. Eachshelf held bolts of colorful fabric, which were usually standing upright like soldiers on parade. Katy rounded the corner and slapped her hand to her cheek in dismay. Half of the bolts had been pulled out and laid flat in haphazard stacks. The others were flopped sideways, leaning like a dilapidated fence after a windstorm. Calicos were mixed with paisleys, and two bolts of gingham had been moved from the top shelf to the bottom one. How could one woman make such a mess? Katy pressed her memory, trying to recall what Mrs. Tieszen had purchased. She snickered when she remembered.
All this rearranging for a quarter yard of plain blue cotton.
With a sigh, Katy set to work. An hour and forty-five minutes later, she brushed her hands together and smiled in satisfaction at the neatly organized shelves. When she turned to go ask her aunt what she could do next, her gaze fell on a bolt of fabric resting on the windowsill. With the sun streaming across it, the lavender fabric seemed to shimmer. Katy gasped in pleasure. She scooped up the bolt and smoothed her hand over the slightly stiff, sheeny fabric. She’d thought her purple tone-on-tone dress was made of the prettiest fabric she’d ever seen, but this lavender material was even lovelier.
Aunt Rebecca walked over and plucked the bolt from Katy’s hands. “Don’t put this on the shelves. I set it aside because I’m going to return it.”
Katy gawked at her aunt. “Why?”
Aunt Rebecca gawked back.
“Why?
Look at it, Katy!”
Katy looked. “What’s wrong with it?” The fabric appeared flawless, the smooth fabric such a delightful color. She imagined fairy princesses wore gowns of fabric like this.
Aunt Rebecca clicked her tongue on her teeth. “It’s organdy. None of the ladies in our fellowship would make a dress from organdy — too sheer.” She wrinkled her nose. “Organdy is fine for curtains or aprons, but can you imagine anyone hanging something that like in their kitchen window? It’s just too … gaudy.”
Katy gazed at the fabric. “It’s
never
used for dresses?”
Aunt Rebecca tapped her lips with her finger. “Well, yes, I suppose for specialty dresses — as an overlay for a silk or lightweight matelassé.” She dropped the bolt into Katy’s arms. “But it just isn’t practical. I must have written down the wrong number on my last order and received it by mistake. It needs to go back to the factory. So package it in some of that mailing paper in the storeroom and address it for me, would you? The factory’s address is on the pad beside the cash register.”
“All right.” Katy’s tennis-shoe heels scuffed as she moved to obey her aunt. She spread heavy brown paper across the work table then laid the bolt on the paper. The lavender against the plain brown made the fabric appear even more beautiful.
Cora and Trisha said all the girls wore beautiful gowns to the homecoming dance. Maybe I could use this fabric to sew a dress.
She drew squiggles on the fabric with her finger, imagining how she might look in the soft, shimmering lavender.
The sewing machine set up in the front window of the shop began to hum. Aunt Rebecca must be working on a project. Katy stared at the curtained doorway separating the shop from the storage area, her hands idle. She bit her lower lip. Aunt Rebecca expected her to prepare this fabric for return to the factory, and she should follow herdirections. Aunt Rebecca
was
the boss. But if this fabric went back, Katy wouldn’t have the opportunity to use it — if she decided to go to the homecoming dance.
She dashed to the doorway and threw the curtain aside.
Similar Books
