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Runner up: Gabrielle O'Leary
By Alice's sleeves
Gabrielle's story was many chapters long, and filled with beautiful, Tenniel-styled illustrations, fashion plates and swatches. Unfortunately it was just too much to display here... but this chapter will give you the flavour of it.
CHAPTER III
INTO THE FAMILY WARDROBE
Alice and her sister were in the nursery, creating a scrapbook for Alice to record her progress with her knitting. As they stuck in the final sample, Alice's sister asked, “So now that you have mastered your stitches, what do you plan to knit with your angora?”
“White rabbit sleeves,” declared Alice without a moment's hesitation.
“Sleeves?” asked her sister.
“Sleeves,” confirmed Alice.
“What nonsense, what use are sleeves without a dress?” Her sister looked puzzled. “Surely it would be like tusks without a walrus, or wings without a gryphon or hats without a Hatter?”
“Well,” declared Alice, “I have had such wonderful adventures this year that I do not want the summer to end — it seems to me that as soon as I set aside my dresses, I will be setting aside the summer itself.”
Alice's sister was not convinced. “Whatever will Mother make of it? You cannot go about in sleeves without a dress! It is not the done thing, at all.”
Alice pleaded, “All of my summer dresses fit me and have plenty of wear left in them. I will have grown out of them by next year. It seems a waste to be fitted for a winter wardrobe when I have perfectly good summer clothes that I can still wear. Also, it might be close to the end of summer but it is far too warm for winter clothes. I would boil like a dormouse in a teapot. This way, I can make my summer last longer and if I get cold, I can wear my sleeves!”
Her sister thought of the heavy woollen dresses waiting in her wardrobe, of the lace, the skirts and bustles. Alice might have a point. “I shall speak to Mother but I cannot promise that she will think this a good use of angora. However, if she permits you to make sleeves, what will they be like? Have you thought of a design?”
Alice pondered, “Angora for warmth and the White Rabbit. I am not sure about shape or decoration yet — how would you make them?”
“Oh no Alice, these must be your own design! How about we look in my wardrobe for inspiration? If you like, I can ask Mother and Great Aunt Mildred whether we might have a look through theirs as well. Then, you can put together some designs in your scrapbook.”
Alice thought that this sounded like fun, so she picked up her new scrapbook, and set off with her sister to investigate the contents of her family's wardrobe and draw her designs.
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