Thursday, September 14, 2006

Girl in the Apple Dress

There are many versions of the song "There's a Brown Girl in the Ring." My favorite version was sung by a performer whose name I can't remember, but whom I heard at the Yorkville branch of The New York Public Library. My second favorite version can be found on Taj Mahal's folk-blues album for children, Shake Sugaree. It's a circle game song from the Caribbean, and it's quite catchy:

There's a brown girl in the ring
Tra la la la la
There’s a brown girl in the ring
Tra la la la la la
There’s a brown girl in the ring
Tra la la la la
She likes sugar
and I like plum.


Lucia picked up on the song when she was still singing "Tra ya ya ya ya," and the subject of "the girl in the apple dress" came up repeatedly as one of her verses. I told her that I would make her an apple dress when we found the right fabric. And so, here it is:



Lucia now wants a pink fluffy dress for her fairy princess costume. If I can follow the basic theme of the apple dress, I've got a shot. "Why not just buy an inexpensive princess costume?" you might ask. "They're in abundance." Well, yeah, but they don't keep people warm enough in the PNW in late October. It's enough of an affront already to have to wear a coat and boots with a princess costume.* I'm going to be on the lookout for fancy pink flannel.

*Not that I would know. Unlike the lucky dogs who got to be Princess Leia, Wonder Woman, or Audrey Hepburn, I had to dress up in a more practical manner. Over various years, I was a shepherdess, a witch, and Freya (the Norse Goddess of Spring and Love). You know, the usual. In all fairness, I was able to wear my shepherdess costume for several years afterward. It was both warm and decorative enough for impromptu dance recitals.

10 comments:

Phil Saunders said...

Princess Leia. Hmmmmm.....

Sorry. What were you saying?

Saints and Spinners said...

Darth Phil: I know what you're thinking! However, my options would have been more along the lines of the cheap plastic face-mask with the accompanying cheap plastic cape. I had the long hair to do the TIE-fighter 'do of "Star Wars," but I seriously doubt it would have stayed up.

By the time Jedi-Leia came along, I was... well, still too young to wear a gold bikini. And now I'm too old. Confound it all! I missed out on the chance to wear the gold bikini for Halloween... in Maryland in October.

Yeah, the shepherdess costume was far more practical.

Liz said...

First off, your too precious for words. I just want to squeeze you and then I want you to make me an apple dress.

Second, again I ask "What lull", you've been more prolific this last week than you have been in months :)

Saints and Spinners said...

Nonny: Maybe I should threaten to have lulls more often, eh? I think it has something to do with taking pressure off myself. Some people write well under pressure. I write best when I'm writing for fun. (Or rather, I write most when I'm writing for fun.)

Are you sure you don't want a banana dress instead? I've looked at the fabric on equilter.com, and it's... shocking.

limpy99 said...

Maybe you could convince her to go as an Eskimo princess?

Lady K said...

That apple dress is absolutely adorable! Can you make me some pink flannel pj's for halloween? I'll be in bed. Maybe if I put bunny ears on I'll feel like it's a real costume :-D

Saints and Spinners said...

Limpy99: Sure thing, as long as she only wears faux fur. Oh, and faux diamonds. By the way, did you know that Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, has one of the only diamond mines in the world not owned by DeBeers?

Lady K: Pink flannel it is. Do you want bunnies, duckies, or batties on your pjs?

Lone Star Ma said...

Lovely dress!

BlueMamma said...

i love it. little girl says "i want an apple dress." mommy says "ok, let me make you one." nothing in the world is more satisfying. what a lucky girls you have.

and how lucky you are that she doesn't say things like "mommy i want a dress just like snow white's in the movie." because that'll take you weeks. i know, i've done it.

Saints and Spinners said...

BlueMamma: Thanks! I don't think I have it in me to make a Snow White costume. Kudos to you.:) Aieeeeeee.