Aiming for PERFECTION

Ginny didn’t believe in winging it, but her new colleague took a very different approach…

That’s a beautiful piece of work.’

The soft, deep male voice interrupted Ginny’s concentration, causing her to jump. So much so, that she pricked herself with the pin she was about to insert into the hemline of the dress she was working on.

‘Ouch!’ she cried, examining the damage. She’d live, but the fabric was marked – the immaculate, pure cream fabric…

At least it was the cream fabric calico, not silk. She was very glad, now, she had hesitated last week before cutting into the bolt of emerald-green silk and decided on the calico first. Even if it had slowed the process.

‘I’m so sorry, may I help you?’ The voice was closer now.

It’s a bit late for that, Ginny thought, wrapping some scrap cotton around her finger, easing the dress from the tailor’s dummy and taking it to the sink in the corner of the classroom.

‘It will be fine,’ Ginny said. ‘I’ve caught it in time.’

She’d stayed late with the agreement of Greg the college caretaker. Not that this was college work she was doing. It was – what would you call it – a commission? While water ran over the fabric she glanced at the clock. 8.30 pm. Greg would be around at 9 pm to lock up. She hadn’t made as much progress as she’d have liked and things, little things, weren’t quite right. The hemline was too short, the neck seams weren’t sitting flat, and she wasn’t happy with the waist. It might need cinching in a bit more, she thought. She’d need to check the measurements.