Where is Mammy When You Need Her?

The phone was ringing as I walked through the shop door yesterday. I answered, and there was a lady on the other end, in a total state of panic.

After identifying herself, she told me that the dress I had altered for her daughter to wear in a Civil War era play didn't fit. She could barely get the words out. Final Dress was last night, and the show opens tonight. Of course, I told her to bring both dress and daughter to the shop, and we'd see what we could do. Never mind that I had already spent about four hours with this customer at the time she chose the dress, what with the choice itself, accessorizing and alterations. I was afraid that the girl had put on weight and I knew the dress could not be let out any more.

After I got off the phone, I told Ramona what was going on, and this little bulb went off in my head--wait a minute! The dress laces up the back. How could it not fit?

So, they came in and the actress put on the dress. I noticed that the laces were a bit messed up, so I straightened them out, making sure that the ribbon was threaded through the grommets in the right order. I laced up the gown and, voila! No problem! The gown looked lovely!

All I had to do was unlace it and show the mom how to do it right.

"It's just like lacing up shoes," I told her.