One fine day Louna decided she wanted to go to a "real" school. Learning at "home" (or should we say "in a carriage") was very satisfying for her curious mind, being allowed to learn at her pace and inquire into subjects with the leisure and time she wanted, for however long she chose to, had enabled her to learn deeply about many interesting things. An avid reader, and lonely by nature, she would spend many hours under the shade of a friendly tree, and learn by herself about distant lands and medicinal plants.
Staying longer than usual at a quaint village, she used to hear the school bells ring loud every morning, and she wondered what all those children did all morning, cooped up inside those rock walls; she wondered what books they read, what their teacher instructed, how they went about their day. In a sense, she really had no background of what happens inside a school, but she had ready many books and novels which portrayed a school environment. So determined to find out for herself, she asked Mama (how she called her Grandmother) to take her to school.
Grandmother was very excited, the possibilities for wardrobe had just been extended. After she finished crafting what she deemed a respectable "uniform" for higher learning, she took Louna by the hand one wet morning, and off they went to meet school with a smile. Their hearts were full of anticipation and eagerness, Mama feeling very proud of her girl wearing those clothes, knowing that the first impression is always so important, and Loulou feeling a ting of excitement wondering about what she was to learn that day. Exciting times.
Unfortunately, the days went by and Louna found herself not being allowed to ask as many questions as her Grandmother was used to answering. Also, there was a lot of sitting down, and copying work from books. There was also a bit of repetition of multiplication tables, which were never allowed to be sung to real musical instruments. All these things convinced Louna that school was just not the place for her wandering heart. There was one thing however, that absolutely tickled her fancy: homework!. What a novel concept, she thought. I am told what I "should" do in the afternoons, but I am allowed to do it wherever I want to. I can stay up really late and read the "homework", I can go into the meadow and do my math while I count daisy chains, or larks up in the sky. She loved doing her homework, her teacher hated the smears of marmalade, the spikes of grass, and the blotched letters from the morning dew. All in all, Louna did well while she attended school.
Although after a while they had to move, again, Louna was happy that she got to "try" school. She learned a few dynamics about children in the school yard, bonded with a little crow that visited the school fence looking for scraps of lunch meals, and became very interested in charts and time tables. Grandmother said that it was OK to keep her school clothes, even if she wasn't going to go to school anymore, so Louna was happy two times!.
As you can see, Grandmother was quite busy making clothes for Louna. She made her a dress, with a vintage cotton fabric that has special luster: her dress has puffed sleeves with elasticized wrists, closes on back with three buttons and has a front pocket. Her removable collar ties on the back and her linen cape has an oversized circular collar, edged with linen trim. The cape has embroidered leaves and berries, and gingham berries hand appliqué. Her cape closes with a fabulous deer button, and a hand worked buttonhole. Now, if I can only convince my own children to wear the clothes Louna loves to wear, I would be as happy as she is right now. See you soon!.