![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzk6dIK4MfJK8vyqW94J5TQVbTxyLozM3JhcriA3nXfjeZaip8TOMXCmoD-lLVyhcZ7C47J_TV6iQZ75xCLTdYLP0PRPLimSvdZ0WCkjBRqxDg5a1bJ3hrqDSs_F84fKQPXLvIi0gbVWBB/s1600/muf11.jpg) |
The Miss Muffet Dress |
Another score from the Oakland Museum White Elephant Sale: a diminutive little cotton lawn dress with a host of problems. The collar and sleeves were unfinished and fraying, the back closure had never been added, and the sleeve openings were too small for the almost-three-year old I wanted to give this to. Otherwise the garment was cunningly stitched, clearly homemade, with hand-sewn embroidery at the collar. Why did the creator abandon this project part way through? Closer inspection revealed the answer: stains on the upper left back. I've used many stain-obscuring techniques in the past from
Mend Writing to
Spirals. I have never, however, used spiders.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6eEyl2tE2NDbRFah1xq-zCIjwZ-mM_ZvZ3swIMOqHHONzoog7gd2imJL07VEuXTZXBvOoek82p6hwS5AwaKMMvI004Yw1W2yWDtvMTs287AH1e5eL1OOJR3j3fY-ilzzG29ryISfMgt-_/s1600/muf6.jpg) |
Spiders concealing stains |
It turns out that once you start stitching spiders it's hard to stop.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgce9o5_vcLh_QXjf5SIVlMJKRTUvhn6zUnlye8sExImz9hjAzt7dYVwk38OlWZnjXnKKIY70VN_VoTqe-I7KId4jEb6kHlvgan09113en-uP9Hy96zexzqqzofxV1fZnjRT-rLcx_LAHrS/s1600/muf3.jpg) |
Spider concealing nothing |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-k-L1PNTZ-EVVI35WQMUqOzAuiymBmPeGouYhn2QBsKOUl1nsE8B0YyUf-_AJc2vlJSbQJQ2nFVng2-vk1fg0H2SOreWBLeqqHmkZqtsQSsTc1u9PYjIIaAq1GVmSZ-kr6aY8oD4CHms/s1600/muf4.jpg) |
more spiders... |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuzyzYDv5Qurd99Gh7f9dj3w2PJK5azoS2f7WmO4OhtnVZ2qAD52dmsAbckLF3m_RrjOVw7Dkqoc6tQJLplgewqGL2dy5tHwSBD3GuPOGdmLXjfs_-M2XSMH9Sb8Rt4BwgoDGrzhbIXTK/s1600/muf5.jpg) |
and more spiders... |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMVaNaXZpcNubkfpQoD2GA3vJ5-kMHYZFs8OcN0mf6M8VL6r7Xd8NIuMRLT_OLVhtp1r6_NnCE5hExOvc75kFCPWMQcYq7GwNWL915G2f9kMn0zFoLiACArYAcyvt9h8KKQLBKwq-3hMS/s1600/muf8.jpg) |
and more spiders... |
Finally I had 12 spiders on what turned out to be a Little Miss Muffet Dress (poem follows). In the process I hemmed the collar and sleeves after creating a wider opening for the sleeves and added a back snap.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00Tae4mmJOzX9Pm1atzgjXYRyHnW4pNddRuzJIiF9iDF-_mLNv9SzxyqHgIaGuUykDeyigufW3NZI5PjuRrog16Nwq_ZXjZrEQJRGhT0yWAPAcdRdIoHD2W0Mcq9DrqV7B2m2e9T6UPqi/s1600/muf2.jpg) |
Miss Muffet front |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Pu57NehBxIaZFE7dZ0FZPEqXImKwfJm-vhKvP4F8e0N8RPF9-3rH6syNMUSqMIBCdbREM5otfEBWW1RtMrd3x5gJV7-2ZuhJeyodqAuIIdj7sEgQeVUpz-MENcCu48GHpYbSG5vzd_SV/s1600/muf7.jpg) |
Miss Muffet back |
And a reminder of the words to the classic children's poem that is over 200 years old, dating back to 1804:
Little Miss Muffet
sat on a tuffet
eating her curds and whey.
Along came a spider
that sat down beside her
and frightened Miss Muffet away.
One can only imagine how this poem will be played out when the dress is worn by a three-year-old.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvKxrv5lnVsRlZz354fg2zLf56ITvjjEKzmi4FkoXBDwJB3gmC-n_6u7eOiTcsVjD9o8ZnjUGM8mkzsbAGnSmeFKIS-b2ul9IXBDGYYobBrksarEM212iHKylbCSPGE0N2CU5GRrwS-0s/s1600/muf12.jpg) |
ta da |
I once embellished a black velvet coat with a silver spider's web and a dangling spider, a garment passed down through friends and family for many years. Love your spider dress, guaranteed to be a favourite.
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