The Veteran

Hello Readers,

Just updating you on my progress! I've completed the interview with Ms. Jameela of House of Gemeaux in Philadelphia. I transported my video camera down the east coast for this interview and I was more than a little nervous that they would lose my checked luggage with my tripod in it. Every other time I get on a plane something of mines is lost when it is checked. Believe me if it weren't for that 3-1-1 liquid rule I would always gate check!

So I have an appointment at 10am for Ms. Jameela so I head out to take the bus to her house in West Philadelphia (Yea, that is where Will Smith is from). The residents of West Philly gave me a plethora of suspicious looks when they saw me stroll onto the bus with a tripod over my shoulder and camera bag on my hip. I felt like it was a slow motion walk down the aisle complete with theme music, but then they probably realized a professional journalist would be driving to her destination. Well, that let the air out of my balloon quickly.

Anyways, so Ms. Jameela was very accommodating and actually created a dress while I was filming her. The pieces were already cut and with deft hands she assembled the dress with her black antique Singer sewing machine. Her dog, Rufus, voiced his dislike of rumbling machine but then resigned to his corner after he saw it was a lost battle.

I couldn't take eyes of the sewing machine which was attached to the table and had a wrought iron pedal to control it. When I asked for the background of the sewing machine I couldn't believe how old it was. It was produced in 1910 and it had a modern motor in it went faster than average domestic sewing machines. It was the sewing machine that she watched another lady sew on when she was younger. When the lady passed, her husband gave it to Ms. Jameela and they have been a team ever since.

All in all, a great interview and the dress came out very cute! It was slated to be an Easter dress for a very lucky lady.

Until next time,

Lauren