Dressed to Frill

by Chloe Taylor

  Mrs. Flynn laughed. “I’m going to call Mom and apologize. Now that I have a twelve-year-old girl of my own, I understand where she was coming from.”

  She smiled at Libby. “Honey, when you have a twelve-year-old girl of your own who wants to wear something you don’t approve of, I expect a phone call from you—and a very nice apology!”

  Libby smiled at her mom while giving a side glance to Zoey.

  “So can I wear the dress?”

  Mrs. Flynn hesitated. “I’m still not crazy about it being strapless. I know it’s the fashion, but I just . . .”

  “I’ve got an idea,” Zoey said. “How about I add some pretty off-the-shoulder, or cap sleeves, so it isn’t quite strapless?”

  “You could also modify the sweetheart neckline a bit,” Aunt Lexie suggested. “Make it a very shallow dip in the middle, just for shape, though this dress sounds so pretty, you may not need the sweetheart neckline in the end.”

  “That would definitely be better,” Mrs. Flynn said. “What do you think, honey?”

  Zoey looked at her friend and nodded slightly, urging her to compromise with her mother.

  “I can live with that,” Libby said.

  Mrs. Flynn added, “I still think she needs some sort of cover up—especially for the family photos.”

  “I can make a matching shrug,” Zoey suggested. “That will give a little more coverage.”

  “Sounds like a perfect solution to me,” said Aunt Lexie.

  “Okay. Problem solved!” Mrs. Flynn said. “Until it’s Sophie’s turn.”

  “I want Zoey to design my Bat Mitzvah dress too!” Sophie piped up.

  “Definitely,” Zoey said. “I promise!”

  CHAPTER 6

  In a Flap Over a Dress!

  “Flap” is another word for “panic,” which I just learned in English class. And whew ! I’m happy to say that the Bat Mitzvah dress flap is over (though my panic about sewing the dress is just beginning)! Libby’s mom thought it was too grown-up, but then Libby’s aunt reminded her about Mrs. Flynn’s own Bat Mitzvah, way back when: Libby’s mom fought with her own mother about her Bat Mitzvah dress and was eventually allowed to wear it!

  So, with a few changes, Libby and her mom finally agreed on a design, and now that everyone is satisfied with the compromise, I’ve been sewing like crazy.

  If my mom were still alive, I wonder if we’d ever argue about clothes. It’s hard to imagine that we’d argue about anything, but that’s probably not realistic! Next time I video chat with Grandma Dorothy, I’m going to ask her what kind of outfits they argued about when Mom was young. I wonder if Mom would like the dress I designed for myself, or if she’d think it was too grown-up. . . .

  Everything comes full circle. Maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be. . . . Still, I’m glad we managed to compromise on a design for Libby’s outfit that makes everyone happy!

  Now that Libby’s dress situation was resolved to everyone’s satisfaction, Zoey realized she had to tackle the topic of Kate’s sudden desire to go floral. She’d put off starting on Kate’s dress as long as possible, because she was afraid Kate would change her mind and want the circle pattern again. But time was running out, even though Kate’s dress was a simple, relatively easy-to-make design.

  “So, are you still thinking floral for your dress?” she asked Kate on the bus on Monday morning.

  “I . . . think so,” Kate said.

  “You don’t sound totally sure,” Zoey said, thinking about Kate’s reaction to Tyler complimenting Libby at the bake sale. “Do you mind me asking . . . does this have anything to do with Tyler?”

  Kate stared at her. “How did you know? Did he talk to you?”

  “NO!” Zoey exclaimed, not wanting Kate to think she’d been meddling in her love life again. “It was just . . . the look on your face when he complimented Libby on her dress at the football game.”

  “Oh . . . ,” Kate said. Then she looked out the window.

  “Well . . . does it have to do with him?”

  “Yes,” Kate confessed, turning back to Zoey. “I’m so confused. At first he seemed to like that I was sporty. But now he seems to always be encouraging me to be more feminine—and he’s constantly complimenting Libby on the way she dresses. Like at the game the other day, and when she wore that floral romper to volunteer at the food pantry last week.”

  “Has he said anything to you directly?” Zoey asked.

  “Oh yeah, he’s done that, too,” Kate said. “He asks me why I don’t wear skirts more often.”

  “He sounds like your mom!” Zoey laughed.

  “I know, right?” Kate groaned. “She’s always nagging me to pay more attention to girl stuff.” She sighed. “I don’t want to change just so Tyler likes me. But I’ve kind of been thinking. . . . I’ve always been so focused on sports all the time. . . . Maybe Mom’s right. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to try embracing my inner girl a little bit.”

  “You have to do it because you want to, not because Tyler or your mom wants you to,” Zoey said.

  “I do want to try being a little more girly,” Kate said. “So I thought maybe adding flowers to my Bat Mitzvah dress might be a way to start, especially because Tyler’s always telling Libby he likes her flowery outfits.”

  “Well, it’s totally your decision—but if that’s really what you want, I could add some bold graphic flowers, more like silhouettes, which I think is more you than the little dainty flowers that Libby wears.”

  “That sounds great!” Kate said. “I don’t know how you do it, Zo. You always know how to solve problems.”

  “Yeah, other people’s problems,” Zoey said as the bus pulled up in front of Mapleton Prep. “My own—not so much!”

  “Well, thanks for solving mine, anyway.”

  “Just don’t forget, Kate—if Tyler doesn’t like you the way you are, then maybe he isn’t the right guy for you,” Zoey said. “Wow. I’m starting to sound like Dad.”

  Kate laughed. “We’ll just have to see how things go, but point taken.”

  With less than a week to go before Libby’s big day, Zoey spent that evening and the next one working on the dresses for her friends. After having to leave Libby’s and Kate’s till the last minute, she worried about getting her own finished in time.

  Maybe I should just go in tuxedo pants for a little variety after sewing all these dresses, she thought as she worked on Libby’s shrug. Daphne Shaw had posted a really cool woman’s tuxedo on her blog. She’d worn it to an auction where she’d donated some of her fashions to help raise money. It was a fun idea, but Zoey decided she was too excited about her dress to wear a tuxedo.

  Zoey looked up from the shrug she was working on toward where Libby’s finished dress was adorning Marie Antoinette, Zoey’s dress form.

  “That’s it!” she exclaimed. “I know how she can raise the money!”

  She looked at the clock. It was too late to call her friend. She’d just have to wait until the next day to discuss her latest brainwave!

  “So, I thought, after your Bat Mitzvah, we could auction off your dress to raise the rest of the money for the fridge,” Zoey suggested to Libby the next morning before school. “I could write a post on my blog. I’m pretty sure we could raise a lot that way.”

  “Oh,” Libby said. She didn’t seem at all excited about the plan. In fact, she seemed distinctly unenthusiastic.

  “What’s the matter?” Zoey asked. “You don’t like the idea?”

  “No, it’s a great idea,” Libby said. “And I feel like kind of a jerk—like I’m really selfish for not wanting to do it. But I fought so hard to get Mom to agree to the design for that dress. I don’t want think about giving it up before I’ve even tried it on.”

  “Well, you get to do that later when you come over for the fitting,” Zoey said. “Besides, do you really see yourself wearing it again?”

  “I don’t know.” Libby sighed. “It’s just that I feel like my Bat Mitzvah is the first time I get to
be a queen for a day, and the dress is part of what’s going to make me feel really special. Do you hate me?”

  “Of course I don’t hate you!” Zoey said. “I’m sure we can think of another way to raise money.”

  “I hope so,” Libby said.

  Zoey and Priti were brainstorming ideas as they walked behind Emily and Ivy into industrial arts class.

  “Did you see my new bracelets?” Emily asked, showing Ivy her wrist. She was wearing a stack of multicolored woven bracelets.

  “They’re fab!” Ivy said. “You’ve got so many.”

  “You can’t have too much of a good thing, right?” Emily said.

  “Can I see?” Zoey asked.

  Emily stuck out her arm, and Zoey looked at the woven bracelets closely. They were pretty. But each one was at least ten dollars. She’d seen them in the “Hot Trends” section in the last issue of Très Chic. Emily must have had at least sixty dollars’ worth on her wrist.

  “Those are so cute!” Priti said. “Where did you get them?”

  “At Boho Chic,” Emily said. “On Main Street.”

  Zoey knew the store, but it wasn’t somewhere she and her friends shopped. It was pricey.

  “Where’s yours, Ivy?” Emily asked. “You said you were going to get one, too.”

  “Oh . . . yeah. I am . . . I just haven’t had time to go shopping. Both my parents are really busy with work and stuff . . . so . . . you know.”

  “But—”

  Mr. Weldon cut off whatever Emily was about to say. “Okay, ladies, can we have a little less conversing and a little more focus on your projects? You can socialize at lunch.”

  Under his watchful eye, the girls got to work on their projects.

  “Is it my imagination or did Ivy look like she’d just been saved by the bell?” Zoey whispered to Priti as she burned designs onto the wooden bow tie she was making for her friend Sean Wachikowski to wear to Libby’s Bat Mitzvah.

  “You mean saved by the teacher?” Priti muttered. “Definitely.”

  “What do you think of the bow tie?” Zoey said, holding it at her throat.

  “What’s not to love about a wooden bow tie?” Priti replied. “Sean is going to freak out.”

  “That’s really cool,” Ivy said. “Did you say it’s for Sean?”

  “Yes,” Zoey said. “To wear to Libby’s Bat Mitzvah.”

  “I bet Sean will love it,” Ivy said. “The stripe design is really cool, and you can still see the wood grain.”

  “Thanks,” Zoey said. “I’m almost finished. I made this belt, too,” Zoey added, pointing at the wooden belt around her waist.

  “You should come to the Fashion Fun Club meeting tomorrow to give it to him,” Ivy suggested. “And, Priti, you can show everyone the necklace you’re making out of wood pieces. Emily, you can wear the chopstick hair thingie you made. We could do a mini-industrial arts fashion show!”

  “That would be fun!” Zoey said. She didn’t like being a club leader when she had too many other things on her plate already, but going as a guest for a industrial arts fashion show sounded perfect.

  “I don’t think so,” Emily said. “Zoey was kicked out of the Fashion Fun Club for a reason.”

  “I thought Sean said that Zoey could stop by the Fashion Fun Club anytime?” Priti said, remembering what Zoey had told her about how things ended.

  Ivy opened her mouth, and for a moment Zoey thought that she would actually challenge Emily to let Zoey come to the club meeting, just this once. But she didn’t. Instead, she closed her mouth and shrugged, avoiding Zoey’s gaze.

  “It’s probably better if I don’t make such a big deal of the present, anyway,” Zoey said, trying to make light of her disappointment.

  “Sean will love it no matter where and when you give it to him,” Priti said, giving Emily a pointed look. “It’s really cool.”

  As Zoey picked up the wood burning tool to finish her design, she hoped Priti was right. Why did she suddenly start to doubt if Sean would like it all?

  The next morning, Zoey found Sean at his locker, and she handed him a cute little paper bag filled with tissue paper.

  “Hey, Sean. I’ve got a present for you.”

  “For moi?” Sean said. “But . . . what’s the occasion? It’s not my birthday.” He thought for a moment. “Or even my halfbirthday.”

  “It’s a present for no reason,” Zoey said. “Because you’re my friend.”

  Sean smiled. “Aw, that’s the best kind of present of all. The suspense is killing me!”

  He reached into the bag and found the wooden bow tie nestled amid all the tissue paper. “Oh my gosh! I looooove it!” he exclaimed. “Did you make this?”

  “I did,” Zoey said. “In woodshop. For you to wear to Libby’s Bat Mitzvah.”

  “I’m going to rework my whole outfit around it,” Sean said. “It’s amazing.”

  “What’s really amazing is that I managed to make your bow tie and a belt without losing any fingers or toes,” Zoey said.

  “You can use a band saw with your foot?” Sean asked. “Now that’s something worth getting on video and putting online!”

  “No, silly. But I could drop a trim saw on my toe.”

  “True.” Sean held the bow tie up to his neck. “What do you think?”

  “It’s totally you.” Zoey laughed.

  “Thanks!” Sean said. “Can’t wait to wear it this weekend!”

  “I’m getting really excited for the party,” Zoey told her friends at lunch.

  “Glad someone’s excited!” Libby groaned. “The main thing I’m looking forward to is being done with it . . . and wearing my party dress, of course.”

  “Thanks again for our dresses, Zoey,” Kate said.

  “You’re very welcome,” Zoey said. “But I’m feeling like Libby and am mostly relieved they’re all done, including mine!”

  “Well, I think it’s cool that no one will be wearing Sew Zoey but us!” Priti said. “Emily probably wishes she could have one of your dresses.”

  “You know what’s weird?” Zoey told her friends. “I’m starting to think it would almost be better if Ivy were coming to the party instead of Emily.”

  Priti had seen the more friendly side of Ivy lately, but Libby and Kate stared at Zoey like she had amnesia about how mean Ivy had been to Zoey in the past. “Who are you and what have you done with Zoey?” Kate asked.

  “I know it’s surprising,” Zoey said, “but she seems different. Maybe people change.”

  CHAPTER 7

  Flower Power

  It’s hard enough figuring out who you are and what’s your best style. But then there’s other people making comments about how you should dress. Parents, friends . . . and sometimes even boys. Is it possible to please everyone, including yourself? I reimagined the original dress I posted for Kate with graphic flower silhouettes so that she’ll be happy with it—feminine but still comfortable. And, most important, still feel like herself.

  The Bat Mitzvah is this weekend. I’m so excited for Libby’s big day, especially after all the hard work she’s been putting into it. I’m also looking forward to seeing my friends in the dresses I’ve been working so hard to make for them! Not to mention Sean in the wooden bow tie I made for him. He loved it! Whew!

  “I’m so nervous!” Libby confessed on Friday after school. “I haven’t been able to concentrate all day!”

  “Aren’t you excited, too?” Priti asked. “I know I am. We’re going to have so much fun tomorrow.”

  “I am excited. But first I have to get through the service without making any mistakes, and then I have to give a speech,” Libby said. “We have all these friends and relatives arriving from out of town tonight—some of them are cousins I haven’t seen in, like, forever.”

  “You’re going to be fine, Libby,” Kate said. “Even if you do make a mistake, I bet you wouldn’t be the first one to do that. And think of how much this means to your grandfather.”

  “Definitely,” Zoey a
greed.

  “You’re going to be more than fine,” Priti assured Libby. “You’re going to be totally awesome.”

  “Thanks.” Libby sighed. “I hope you’re right!”

  “Well, we’ll be there cheering for you, even if you do mess up,” Zoey said. “So try to stop worrying so much. Don’t forget, you have a cute dress and a fun party to look forward to when the service is over.”

  Mrs. Mackey arrived bright and early to pick up Zoey for the Bat Mitzvah. The girls wanted to make sure they were there with plenty of time to spare, to give Libby moral support in case she was having any last-minute jitters.

  “You look lovely,” Mrs. Mackey said when Zoey got into the car. “And I just adore the dress you made for Kate to wear to the party tonight. I’ve been trying to get her into something floral and feminine for years and all I ever got was ‘No way, Mom! Not my style.’ Suddenly, she changes her mind!”

  Kate crossed her arms and gave her mom a look. “Don’t get too excited, Mom. It’s just a dress!”

  Zoey had to agree with Mrs. Mackey. When Kate came to pick up the dress, she tried it on to make sure it fit properly and it really did suit her. The graphic flowers were feminine but still clean and simple and totally Kate.

  “Your mom’s right, you know,” Zoey told Kate when they arrived at the synagogue. “You really do look great in the flower dress.”

  “Thanks,” Kate said. “I feel good in it too, and I really appreciate you making it for me. I can’t wait to wear it. But between us, I just don’t want to give Mom any encouragement, or she’ll go totally overboard. The next thing you know, she’ll throw out all my jeans and T-shirts, and my closet will be filled with even more pink, frilly, flowery things I don’t want.”

  Zoey laughed. “Come on, Kate, she’s not that bad.”

  “That’s what you think,” Kate said. “I’m telling you, her dream is to see me dressed head to toe in pink for the rest of my life.”