Of course these days a decent sewing machine would usually do the job just as good and considerably faster. But Lavinia couldn’t afford such a machine. Even though she never dawdled she found it hard to keep up with the workload. Thank goodness people were answering the advertisement she had on her door. Some like to think that “hand-made” is better than “machine-made”.
Customers always had to supply their own fabric. That way there could be no arguments about quality, so over time Lavinia had acquired a considerable pile of offcuts. Then work dried up. A cottage industry was no longer a viable concept. Why work for yourself when you could work more efficiently for the government or for a huge clothing company?
Lavinia changed the notice on her door:
PERSONALLY DESIGNED FASHIONABLE CLOTHING. BE THE ONLY ONE AT A FUNCTION WEARING SOMETHING EXCITINGLY UNIQUE!
A trickle of customers came and went, until Vanessa Clunie-Parsons, a famous actress, wore a Lavinia gown to the Oscars. How exciting for Lavinia to see such a famous star wearing something she had made! The paparazzi would be over the moon. Goodness knows what celebrities would want her designed, hand-sewn gowns! Lavinia’s design notebook was suddenly filled with fabulous sketches.
But after Vanessa Clunie-Parsons’ appearance at the Oscars no one ever knocked on Lavinia’s door again.
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