Square Biz - Little Bo Beeps Wedding Dress?

About 20 years ago, my grandmother gave me the wedding dress she wore when she married my grandfather (very handsome couple don't you think?).  She made me promise to use it (notice I didn't say wear it) while saying neither of her daughters would ever wear it, so I was her best chance.  I promised I would, but she may have had a better shot leaving it to one of my infant cousins.  Here I am almost 40, never married, and no prospect of a husband.  Making lemons out of lemonade...I do have a wonderful baby girl coming home soon.  What better way to use a part of my grandmother's dress than by capturing her love with a little square for Baby I's quilt?  But I wondered is this the right thing to do, to cut up her dress? My prom dress is one thing but the wedding dress?  Hmmm, not so sure.  I decided to try the dress on to make sure I was doing the right thing.  

First, let me set the picture for you.  My house is just cold.  I refuse to cut the heat on before Nov.  and the thermostat reads 57.  So, I'm living in my basement family room and bedroom with a space heater, but I don't have a long mirror downstairs so I'm upstairs in my bedroom room shivering.  I step into the dress and hear rips in the back and start to laugh.  I keep going.  I put my arms in the sleeves and wonder "hmm, don't they go any further than this"?  Ok, now I go to the mirror and look a little puzzled.  I look at my grandmother's picture to see how the dress is supposed to look.  I look in the mirror.  Picture.  Mirror.  Picture.  Mirror.  This goes on for a few more times then I bust out laughing.  The only thing I say out loud is "An Overgrown Little Bo Peep on Crack".  Oh, I forgot to say I was conditioning my hair so I had a scarf on my head.  Okay, I think it will be better if I take the scarf off.  I do.  Like that is any better.  Not.  I laugh even harder.  Then I think.  Little Bo Peep as a Line Backer?  I say out loud again (it's a good thing I live by myself), "How did my Grandmother fit into this"?  I should have known better.  When she gave me the dress, 20 years and 20 pounds ago, I couldn't fit into it, but I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment.  If I didn't live by myself I would have taken the Little Bo Beep pictures for you, minus the sheep of course.

I decided that my grandmother, at this point, was sitting with the rest of my elders in heaven, laughing hysterically and saying please do something else with that dress.  We forbade you to wear it like that.  I'm a little (okay, a lot) too old for the Little Bo Peep look so I held my breath and cut part of the train for Baby I's quilt.  It seemed like the thing went on forever.  I'm sure she won't be turning over in her grave about the dress, this is the most play this dress has seen in over 60 years!  She will forgive me for cutting a foot or so of it.  

 The remainder of the dress I will save for the day I get married and use to get a dress made.  Something more Sex in the City less Nursery Rhyme.  And if I never get married I'll save it for Baby I and use it to get something fabulous made for her wedding.  I promise G'Ma the dress will get used again for more than Baby I's quilt, but it's all for love and at least a quilt will get used (okay, maybe not if I only hang it on the wall.  Please tell me not to do this) more than once.