It was Spanish Week!

As school's European week grinds to a halt we come to the last parental ordeal of this half term - the obligatory fancy dress day with added Themed Party. As the Big Girl here was allocated Spain as her country, we were inevitably going to pitch up in some half arsed attempt at a Flamenco Dress. After wracking my brains, fabric cupboard and patterns, I cobbled together this hybrid of a dress, which needed to be frilly, wearable, but not use too much fabric up as I really didn't have enough of any red or balck (they're not colours I really stock usually). Then the weather turned cold so we had to find things to wear with it that we already had, hence the unorthodox addition of grey poloneck and cardigan.

After several days whirring away at this and angsting about if it would pass muster (still no call from school to say it's fallen apart, that's good) I just  thought I would share something. The thing we ask ourselves is 'Why Am I Doing This?' when we do crazy stuff like: make an elaborate costume, spend the evenings glueing sequins on things (I am thinking of the mother of the boy in the glittery matador jacket here), use up all our polka dot fabric on a Flamenco bodice to be worn once. Last night, as she lay in bed, with the Flamenco Dress hanging up on her door, this little cutie turned to her father and whispered 'Daddy I don't think I will be able to sleep I am so excited about wearing my dress to school tomorrow'. THAT is why we do it, right there.