My Dress Form, A Sewing Story

About eleven years ago or so, a childhood friend’s mom reached out to me. She knew I sewed, and asked if I was interested in buying an old dress form that belonged to her mother. I immediately said yes. This particular one had special meaning for me.

Her mother Mrs. B, who had owned the dress form, was such a part of my school years! I first met Mrs. B when I entered kindergarten. She was always on campus, volunteering her time. She would push the kids on the swings, even if she didn’t know you. She treated us all the same. “Mrs. B, Mrs. B!”, all the kids on the swings would shout, but she never grew tired of pushing us all.

Here’s a picture of Mrs. B as a young woman. This outfit is fantastic. I wonder if she made it…..grandparents ARE fashion!

In the first grade I was lucky enough to be in her granddaughter’s class. We became friends then, and although we’re grown now, and in different states, I still think of her as my friend. I guess small towns are like that. You make friends young and keep them a long time. Life sometimes separates people, but shared experiences and love keep you together.

Mrs. B was always at the school, volunteering her time, helping in the classroom, and treating all of us like we were her grandchildren too. I had hit the friend and grandma lottery!

Here is Mrs. B in her younger days again. I love old pictures and seeing clothing, hairstyles, and accessories like glasses!!

My luck would continue as her granddaughter and I were together through high school! Small town stuff, indeed.

I remember in our early grades, Mrs. B made the entire class yellow gingham smocks to wear on our field trip so we wouldn’t get lost or mixed up with the other kids, or other schools. We were so cool!

This is how I remember Mrs. B in those early years. She always wore sunglasses like this on the playground. She had some that would turn green in the sun, must have been the first transition lenses available. All I know is they were magic!

In high school I would go to my friends house, she lived with her grandma, and in the corner of the kitchen was a dress form. I couldn’t sew at that time, but it fascinated me. Sometimes Mrs. B would have sewing projects near the dress form. I wish I could go back and ask questions about them.

So when I was offered to buy Mrs. B’s dress form I was so happy and honored. Mrs. B was a grandma to me all of my school years, and I was going to get to sew with her now, if only through her dress form.

Here the dress form is, hanging out in my sewing room.

She still has her original tag.

I had her a while and decided she needed a name. I couldn’t think of any that seemed right, so I waited. I thought it was weird to name a dress form, but I was going to do it anyways.

One day my son was watching one of his all time favorite movies, “The Love Bug”. Yes, the one with Herbie, the lovable VW bug. There is a scene in the movie where Dean Jones is driving Herbie, and Michelle Lee is in the passenger seat. Herbie has hijacked them, and takes them to a drive in burger place, and well, this happens…

“A couple of weirdo’s Guinevere”, is what the one hippy says to the other, and only a weirdo would name a dress form. And so my dress form had a name, Guinevere.

I also found out while researching Guinevere’s year that she is from 1968, and so is “The Love Bug”. It was meant to be!

This is how Guinevere looks in my sewing room. I keep her dressed in this vintage apron, she’s modest.

Pinned on her is an Official Conscience, to help with the sewing rights and wrongs.

Always let your conscience be your guide….

Guinevere has become part of the family, if I mention “Guinevere” everyone knows I’m talking about the dress form. I don’t even feel like a weirdo anymore for naming her. 🙂

Sometimes when I’m sewing with Guinevere I think about all the projects that Mrs. B must have made with her. And then my mind drifts to my memories of Mrs. B. She was a grandma to everyone on the playground. What a big heart she had.

She’s not my grandma, but is a grandma that I sew with in spirit, often. What a lasting impression she had on my life. I’m grateful to have a little physical piece that was hers, to remind me that there is always room to be kind and to love others.

As for me, onto the next!