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Dress forms and democracy

Or, a catch-up post! As usual, when I end up beyond-crazy-busy the blog gets even more neglected, so that means I’ve been crazy busy! I have finished a 30×50 quilt, but I can’t share it–at least until after jurying is complete at the end of the month. I’m also slamming on two new projects for Janome America to use: portraits of the dog and the cat. As you can see, I have just begun!

The dog….It will be titled “I Love, Therefore I Am”
Here she is expanded. I haven’t discovered her name yet. Gladys, named after Flavia de Luce’s bicycle (crime novels, delightful) is a possibility. So is Rose (meh). Betty given the era (also meh). So I’ll think on it.
I thought she’d feel more comfortable (and warmer…basement still chilly) if draped, so I grabbed a vintage tablecloth I dyed that turned out blotchy. It looks great. Wish my waist were then svelte……but I’m not willing to give up ice cream, so there we are!

And last but not least, it has been a Very Busy Spring for my duties as a Town Selectman for Hope. Last night was the Annual Town meeting, which is democracy in action in its purest form. All citizens of Hope are invited. You get an orange card if you are a registered voter, then you vote on things like the budget, which covers everything from snowplowing to town salaries to cemetery maintenance. The moderator asks for Yes votes, raise card. Then asks for No votes, raise card. Citizens are allowed to make amendments from the floor to change the recommendations of the Select Board and the Budget Committee.

The Hope Elementary School gym for the Annual Town Meeting


Anyway, Dick decided to not run again and really retire this time, and we had a full field of four candidates for two slots and Mike is a quiet kind of guy, so he won’t be returning. Plus our town bookkeeper who is AMAZING will retire next April, so I thought we should have a class photo. So here we are: the five Selectmen and the three office staff who both literally and figuratively here always have our backs. We will greatly miss Dick and Mike.

Back row: Chelsea (town clerk etc), Samantha (town administrator, etc), Mary (town bookkeeper etc)–the et cetera because they all wear at least a dozen hats
Front row: me, Dick, Mike, Brian and Wendy
Even though I’m the lone liberal of this group of five, it has been a rollicking good group, always respectful, sometimes witty and funny, friendly bunch. Here’s to more of the same with the two new guys!

And that’s it for mid-June in Hope, Maine. Back to the fusing station….I’ve got work to do!

2 Responses to “Dress forms and democracy”

  1. Whiskers Says:

    Years ago, my mom gave me a dress form, “My Double”. She was from the ’60’s-’70’s, and she was always “Matilda”. I don’t know why. She just was.

    She moved long distance several times and I had one guy tell me she rode in the front seat of the moving van, and he called her “Harriet”. I said, “no, Matilda”.

    She still leans, a little drunken in appearance, in my sewing studio. I used to make wearable art and would pin the pieces in progress on her while I was working on another part. It helps to see garments as you would wear them, but alas, Matilda and I are no longer the same size, and she hasn’t had a decent garment to wear in years.

  2. Sarah Ann Smith Says:

    What FUN! Say to Matilda for me. I’m still waiting for mine to tell me her true name…