Walking past this store front for the wealthy,
a lady of much less meager means stopped to
look at the dresses displayed on the mannequins,
wishing she had the funds for such finery.
She had never seen anything so eloquent as
she stood staring at this one blue dress.
She knew there was an event coming up
which the whole city was invited to but
would require an evening gown.
She certainly didn't have the funds to pay
that many dollars for such an event, so her
mind began to think of what she could do.
Fortunately for her she was an excellent
seamstress and knew she could make one like
that blue gown -- that is, if she could sketch it and
was able to look at the seams to see how it was put together.
She noticed only the shop owner was in the store
-- hardly a good time to make a sketch
and examine it thoroughly unless other
customers could keep the owner busy, but
she wanted to sketch that dress so badly.
Bravely she walked in and started inspecting
the dress, then took out a piece of paper and
began to draw the lines and folds.
Just as quickly as she had begun,
the owner came over to help her but saw
she was sketching the dress, then said --
' We're not drawing a picture
of my dress, now are we? '
Embarrassed, she quickly put her pad away
and said, 'It's such a lovely dress, isn't it?'
then hurried out of the store.
Later that night when the store had closed
the lady went back to the store and stood on the
sidewalk, then began to sketch that lovely gown.
After making a diagram as best as she could,
the next day she went to shop for material.
Finding just what she wanted, she hurried home
and with the sketch in her hand, began to cut
a pattern to resemble that blue dress.
After repeated mistakes and re-cuts of the pattern,
she felt she could cut up an old sheet to make a sample
so she wouldn't ruin the material she bought.
Working through many nights on this project,
she saw that it was just like the one in the window
So in using the paper pattern she made
she began to cut in this nice material.
Taking several days of sewing to make it
like the one in the window - she felt so
proud of her accomplishments, not
to mention the saving of hundreds of dollars
which that one in the store had cost.
On the night of this great event she donned
her gorgeous dress feeling as rich as the others
who would be at this ball. But unknown
to her, when she got to the affair, who did
she see at the ball but the lady who owned she shop,
and she had on the same dress she wanted to copy.
Stunned and unable to speak, she didn't know if
she should leave or stand her ground if the shop owner
embarrassed her for copying that blue dress
She decided to leave - much like Cinderella
at the stroke of 12.00 - for she didn't want others
at the party to know what she had done..
A couple of weeks later, when she was walking
by that same shop looking in the window
to see if she had anything new again when
the shop owner spotted her and came out.
She wanted to walk away rather than have her
confront her about copying that gown,
but she stayed and the shop owner said.
' I was hoping I would see you again, cause
I need someone to work in my shop with me
and you're just the right person to wait on
customers and become a 'fitter' for the wealthy.
Most of the ladies who come in here, the dresses
need to be altered and you'd be the right person.
The poor lady couldn't believe her good luck.
She jumped at the chance to be a fitter thinking
she would have access to all the new dresses
that came in the shop and would be allowed
to copy them as well.
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