by Chloe Taylor
“Perfect, Zoey.” Aunt Lulu grinned, seeming a bit more jolly than when she’d arrived. “See you then.”
CHAPTER 7
Skorts and Skates!
One of my favorite things is looking at costumes worn by dancers, ice-skaters, and other sporty peeps. They have to be supercomfortable and practical to survive all those spins and twirls! I sketched my own fun and funky skating outfit, because I was supposed to go to the roller-skating rink today with my friends, but I’ve got a ton of sewing to do and I can’t make it. Luckily, I saw the girls yesterday, and we caught up on everyone’s news and baked delicious chocolatey treats and I didn’t mix up any ingredients this time.
Hopefully, I can make this outfit soon and go skating next time. Sometimes a designer’s work is never done. . . . (Pretending to sigh but actually too busy to have time to sigh!)
Zoey tried not to feel sorry for herself as she called Libby to cancel on roller skating. Libby was the one who always liked to plan fun things for everyone to do, and skating had been her idea as a perfect way to celebrate Kate’s arm healing.
“Hello?” Libby answered cheerfully.
“Hi, Libs, it’s me.”
“Zoey! Are you almost ready? I bet you made something fantastic to wear. I’m wearing leggings and a short skirt and a sweater. I’m worried I’m going to fall a million times, and if I wear tights, I’ll just rip them.”
Zoey sighed. “Libby, I’m sorry—I can’t go.”
“What? Why?”
Zoey knew she had to be careful. She couldn’t reveal the surprise wedding, but she didn’t want to lie to her best friends, either. And, really, she didn’t want to risk hurting their feelings. So she said, “I’ve started working on my aunt’s wedding dress, and even though the wedding isn’t for a while, I want to get it done as soon as possible, so there’s time to fix it and add to it and make it perfect for her.”
Libby was silent a moment. “Oh, um, okay. I thought Aunt Lulu hadn’t even set a date, though? You need to work on it today?”
Zoey gritted her teeth. Was there any possible way to make it sound plausible? “Well, I’ve got Etsy orders, too, and they need to be done right away. And it’s all just . . . so much.” Then another idea hit her. “Aunt Lulu says she can’t plan some things for the wedding, like accessories and bridesmaids’ dresses, until she knows exactly how the wedding dress is going to look.”
As Zoey said this, she nearly slapped herself on the forehead. She’d totally forgotten she still had to sew her own junior bridesmaid’s dress! She had the fabric and the design, but it was still going to be a lot of work!
“Okay, I get it.” Libby sounded sympathetic. “You’re really nice to do all that for your aunt, Zoey.”
“It’s no big deal,” Zoey said. “But I am very sorry to miss going with you guys today.”
“We’ll miss you, too,” Libby promised. “And I’ll send you some pictures! Kate will probably be whizzing around backward on her skates while Priti and I cling to the wall and try not to get run over!”
Zoey laughed, as she could picture that scene perfectly. Kate did always manage to learn a new sport about ten times faster than anyone else. “Good luck,” Zoey said. “Watch out for bumps!”
Zoey hung up and surveyed her worktable, mostly covered by her aunt’s wedding gown. It was really starting to come together, and she knew if she worked hard all day, she’d probably have it ready for Lulu to try on in two days. Zoey turned on her sewing machine and then headed to the kitchen to make herself some hot chocolate. Just because she wasn’t skating, it didn’t mean she had to miss out on everything!
In home ec class on Monday, it was back to working on aprons. Zoey had really enjoyed their baking lesson in the cafeteria last week, even though her cake hadn’t turned out especially well. But it was a fun break from being in a classroom, and she felt like she’d really learned something. The apron project was a challenge for most of the class, but Zoey couldn’t help feeling a little resentful that with all the real sewing work she needed to be doing at home, she was spending time in class pinning together an apron.
Priti, however, had become very enthusiastic about sewing. She’d liked it from their first day, and she played and played with her sewing machine, trying to understand how its features worked, and looked at her basic apron pattern from different angles to see what could be done to improve her design.
“I just love this project,” Priti said as she was basting together her fabric.
Zoey, whose apron was half-sewn already, had been debating adding pockets to the front when she’d gotten an idea about how to fix the underskirt of her aunt’s wedding gown and had stopped to grab a piece of paper to sketch it and write it down before she forgot the idea.
“Zoey?” Priti said. “Are you listening?”
Zoey snapped to attention and looked over at Priti. “Yeah, sorry. What?”
Priti squinted. “Are you okay, Zoey? You look a little . . . stressed out.” Priti peered over Zoey’s fabric and saw the tiny sketch Zoey had just made of the gown. “Libby said you’ve been working really hard on your aunt’s dress.”
Zoey nodded. That was true, and it didn’t give away anything secret.
“You know,” Priti said, “I’m learning to sew now, so if you want some help, I’d be really happy to do it. I know I’m nowhere near as good as you are sewing-wise, or anything, but, I mean, if you just have something simple you need done, I could do it.”
Zoey was grateful to her friend, but she didn’t know how she could accept Priti’s offer without revealing the secret. If Priti came over to her house and saw all the wedding dress madness going on, she’d probably guess the wedding was imminent.
“Thanks, Priti,” Zoey said as Mrs. Holmes passed by, giving Zoey a slight frown when she saw that Zoey wasn’t working. “I’ll let you know! I guess I’d better work on my apron right now, huh?”
Priti looked over at Mrs. Holmes. “Probably. I don’t think she liked your cake very much. . . .”
The two girls giggled, and Zoey vowed to concentrate harder for the rest of the class. But even with her best effort, she couldn’t stop thinking about her junior bridesmaid’s dress and when on Earth she was going to find time to get it done.
Later that afternoon, Zoey realized that if she was going to finish her homework and have the wedding gown ready for Lulu to try on after school the next day, she’d have to skip tap class. Tap was a standing date with Kate, her oldest friend in the world, whom Zoey knew she soon wouldn’t be seeing much of, since Kate was officially back on the swim team. But Zoey had no choice. The wedding was now in just about a week and a half. She had to get an initial fitting done right away or there wouldn’t be time to get all the details right.
Kate answered the phone after the first ring. “Hi, Zo! I’m ready for class. My mom offered to drive both ways if we need her to. She says she can run to the grocery store while we’re in class.”
Kate’s excitement made it even harder for Zoey to say what she had to say. “That’s so nice of your mom, but I don’t think I can go tonight. . . .”
“Why?” Kate sounded worried. “Are you sick? Did something happen?”
Zoey was really beginning to dislike these conversations with her friends, where she had to let them down and not be truthful about it. If she could just tell them the truth, they’d understand perfectly. They all knew Lulu and what an honor it was for Zoey to be making her gown.
“I’m not sick,” Zoey said, wanting to stick to the truth as much as possible. “But I’ve got a ton of homework, and I’m working on some . . . stuff . . . for Lulu, to help her plan her wedding.”
Kate sniffed. “But, you missed roller-skating yesterday. I thought you’d gotten all that ‘stuff’ done?”
“I know, Kate, and I’m really sorry.” Zoey thought hard. What could she possibly say to make Kate understand and not sound as if her feelings were hurt? “Okay, listen. I haven’t mentioned this to anyone, but Lulu asked me to
make her an . . . engagement dress to wear to her engagement party next weekend, and it’s such short notice that I’m working on it night and day.”
“Wow! Really? How fun!” Immediately, Kate’s tone changed. Zoey wished she’d thought of the “engagement dress excuse” before. “What’s it look like?”
“Uhhh,” Zoey said, stalling. “I’m not supposed to say. Because she wants it to be a surprise. For John.”
“Well, I’m not going to tell him or anything. But, okay, I understand.” Kate sounded like her normal, happy self again. “I’m going to go get ready for class. You get to work! If we learn any new steps tonight, I’ll show them to you at school this week, okay?”
“Great,” said Zoey, feeling hugely relieved. “Thanks for understanding.”
“Sure!” said Kate. “I’ll miss you, but that’s life when you’re best friends with a famous designer.”
“Famous might be pushing it,” Zoey protested.
“You’ve had a design on the cover of Celebrity magazine, a T-shirt you made worn by tween heartthrob Cody Calloway, and you’ve been a judge on Fashion Runway. It’s time to stop being modest, Zoey.”
“Okay, you’re right. I guess I’m kinda awesome.” Zoey giggled.
“Ha-ha, Zoey. Even when you’re just pretending to be full of yourself, no one would believe it. Anyway, get to work. TTYS.”
After school on Tuesday, Marcus kindly offered to drive Zoey and the wedding gown over to Lulu’s for the fitting. Zoey wrapped it carefully in tissue and then zipped it into a garment bag. She was so paranoid about something happening to the dress that she’d been wrapping it up in fabric each night when she was finished working on it, just in case some dust from her house landed on it.
When they got to Lulu’s, Marcus volunteered to take Buttons for a long walk, so Zoey and Lulu could do the fitting. They headed up to Lulu’s bedroom, where she had a closet with a full-length mirror. When Zoey unzipped the garment bag, unpacked the tissue, and revealed the dress, Lulu gasped.
“Oh, Zoey, it’s gorgeous already! Just look at it!” She paused, staring at the dress with wonder and emotion. She looked like she might even tear up, and the dress was only half-completed! “We certainly chose the right fabric. This pearlescent sheen is lovely.”
“Phew—I’m so glad you like it!” Zoey exclaimed. “You have no idea how nervous I am working on it. I never use white fabric, and definitely not really expensive white fabric, so I’ve been wearing gloves half the time, so I don’t get any finger oil or anything on it.”
“That’s clever, Zoey!” Aunt Lulu said. She stepped out of her suit and began, with Zoey’s help, to pull on the dress. Some of the underskirt was still held together with pins, so they had to be very careful not to rip them out, prick Lulu, or damage any of the basting threads. “Where’d you get that idea?”
“From Jan,” Zoey said. “She mentioned it to me at the store.”
With the dress on, standing in front of the mirror, Lulu looked at herself. Slowly, she smiled and looked over at Zoey. “This is going to be perfect, Zoey. It’s exactly what I want! And that’s so important to me, particularly since we’ve had to compromise a bit on the invitations, and the photographer, you know.”
Zoey nodded. She was thrilled her aunt looked so happy and that the dress seemed to fit well so far. She didn’t see any major problems—just some tweaks here and there. Zoey got more pins and began to check over the seams in the underskirt, which needed to be loose enough to allow her aunt to dance, but strong enough to support the shape of the overskirt.
“How’s your dress coming along?” Lulu said. “I hate to even ask! Have I overloaded you?”
Zoey shook her head. “No! I’m fine. My dress is . . . well, not done. I’ve cut out the pieces, but I haven’t done anything to it yet. I’ll get to it.”
“If it’s too much, Zoey, just tell me, and I’ll run out and buy you a dress. I want you to have fun at this surprise wedding, too, you know!”
Zoey smiled. “I will. Don’t worry! I’m so glad this dress is working out and we don’t see any problems. I’m sure I’ll be able to get everything done, and it’ll be fine.”
Lulu paraded around in the mirror admiring herself in the dress for another ten minutes or so, until they heard Marcus downstairs returning with Buttons. Then Zoey had to help Lulu take off the dress and then repack it carefully in the bag. Maybe it was costing her some time with her friends, and a little bit of stress, but the honor of making her aunt’s wedding gown, and of making her so happy, was worth it to Zoey.
In home ec class the next day, Zoey and Priti were side by side, working on their aprons, and Zoey was worrying. Even though she’d told her aunt that everything was fine and that she’d be able to get both dresses completed before the event the following weekend, in her heart, she just didn’t know when she’d have time to sew her junior bridesmaid’s dress. For a second she thought about texting her aunt and taking her up on the offer to buy a store-bought dress, but then Zoey realized there was no way she’d love any dress as much as the one she’d designed.
“Zoey, look at you!” Priti exclaimed. “Your forehead is all wrinkled and your mouth is puckered like you just ate a lemon. What’s wrong?”
Zoey sighed heavily. She couldn’t stop fretting. Especially while sewing on her apron, which seemed rather silly compared to the wedding dress she was making at home.
“You might as well tell me,” Priti said, sounding both friendly and threatening at the same time. “I’ll get it out of you somehow!”
Zoey couldn’t help smiling a little bit. Priti was tenacious. Zoey had to tell her something. She decided to adapt the story she’d told Kate, since it was the most truthful thing she was allowed to say. She really hated lying to her friends.
“Get what out of her?” asked Sean, butting into their conversation. “What are you hiding, Zoey Webber?”
Sean was standing at the machine to the right of Zoey, helping another student to get it working again. He finally got the needle humming, and he moved a step closer, so he could be in front of Zoey and Priti.
“Sorry I was eavesdropping, but I love secrets.” Sean smiled and shrugged, as if he couldn’t help himself.
Zoey knew she had to say something, because Sean didn’t seem like the type to give up easily. “Well, it’s not a secret, exactly. But I designed a junior bridesmaid’s dress for myself, to wear to my aunt’s wedding, and now I’ve decided to wear it to her engagement party instead, and I have less than ten days to make it!”
“Is it the design you posted on your blog?” Sean asked. “It has, like, one shoulder, with what looked like a bubble skirt hem?”
Zoey nodded, both flattered and surprised that Sean knew exactly which design she’d been talking about.
“But that dress is beautiful, Zoey!” Priti said. “It would be such a shame if it didn’t work out.”
“I know,” Zoey agreed. “But unless I can wear it held together with safety pins, I just don’t know how I can make it and the dress my aunt is wearing to the engagement party. And she’s the bride-to-be, so hers is the most important out of the two dresses to make!”
Sean seemed to think a moment. Nervously, he fiddled with the hand wheel on Zoey’s machine. “If you want, I could help you,” he said shyly. “I mean, I’ve done a lot of sewing. Not as much as you, but I made all the costumes for the school musical last year. And I’d follow your design exactly.”
“Really? You would do that?” Zoey was flabbergasted. It was an incredibly nice offer, and from someone she hardly even knew! She immediately felt an overwhelming sense of guilt that she’d been slightly envious of Sean ever since that first day of home ec. Sean managed to win praise from the class every day by keeping all the machines running smoothly, and no one really even mentioned Zoey being in the class anymore. She probably could have been a little friendlier to him during the beginning of the apron competition.
But now it seemed she did have a chance to really beco
me friends.
“I would love that, Sean,” Zoey said. “But do you have time? Honestly? Could you really do it?”
Sean grinned again. “Of course. I’d be happy to help produce a Sew Zoey original. How about I come by your house after school today to get the materials?”
Zoey nodded quickly, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Even though she’d never thought about having someone else sew together her dress, she already had the fabric cut out, and Sean really did seem to be the perfect solution to her problem. She knew he could do a great job.
“Wow, I really owe you one!” Zoey said. “If you ever need help with anything, just ask.”
“I’ll remember that,” he said, grinning. “Now get back to work on your apron. Mrs. Holmes is coming, and you look like you haven’t even threaded your machine yet. . . .”
CHAPTER 8
A Friend to the Rescue!
I’ve gotten used to all my awesome girlfriends helping me out from time to time with projects and ideas and homework. And I try to do the same for them in return! But for the first time I’ve made friends with a boy, who is pretty awesome with a sewing machine, and he offered to help me finish the dress I’m wearing to my aunt’s engagement party next week. I’m not going to write his name here, because I get the feeling he’s still a little shy about being known as “the guy who sews” (even though it’s awesome), but he knows who he is. I sketched this outfit for him, because it seems like his style and something he could really rock at school.
Not only have I been a busy bee helping my aunt get ready for her engagement party, but my grandparents are coming for the party, too—all the way from Arizona! I haven’t seen them since last Christmas, so I’m very, very excited. Only one more week to wait!
On the Sunday before the wedding, Aunt Lulu came over to Zoey’s house for another fitting.
