All right, Angelabeth thought. We can work with this. This was why she interviewed the customer first, rather than going off on her own and risking disappointment later. And after all, it wasn't like Angelabeth had anything she really wanted to do.
"I think a forest would be fine, but if you prefer something in a sage, we can easily arrange that." Angelabeth moved two bolts over to a softer green. "And we can easily work the purple in with the silver in the striping." The reluctant seamstress nodded to herself; it was easily enough done.
Then she started taking measurements. She smiled and nodded in the right places as Cynthia rambled on, but there was a real limit to how much she cared about the topics of conversation. Cats, grandchildren, Syliran Knights...none of that held any interest for Angelabeth. There were a few nuggets of information -- the bit about liking U-necks and disliking pleats -- but trying to find them in the unending stream of inanities was like trying to catch a trout bare-handed during a flood.
Angelabeth looked cheerful enough, however, and there was nary a hint of her sardonic thoughts on her face. After the measurements were completed, she smiled again. "I think that I'm ready to begin the design, now that I know more about what you're looking for." She would say whatever other pleasantries were necessary, and then look for a pencil and paper to do a rough sketch.
She had plenty of practice in drawing clothing, and before long, the picture began to take shape. A U-neck, the cut of the front and back material comfortable without being baggy or loose, sleeves slightly past the elbows to allow for maximum flexibility in a variety of temperatures. The unpleated skirt portion was neither form-fitting nor overly flared. The hem was low -- not as low as she would have made it if the wedding were going to be indoors, but as low as she felt like she could make it under the circumstances.
Then she began indicating which fabrics would go where. The bulk of the dress would be the sage linen; she added alternating purple and silver vertical stripes from the skirt to the waist. They were thin, almost pinstripes -- nothing that would call attention to itself, but enough to produce the proper effect. A couple of them would continue up the bodice, though the sleeves would be left carefully neutral. She added a brief sketch of a simple purple wrap in the same color as the stripes.
When she was finished, Angelabeth held it up and looked at it. It seemed to fit all the qualifications that Cynthia had given her, and she believed that it would make an excellent impression at the wedding, given the older woman's figure and features. The seamstress wouldn't have said she liked it -- like was a word she never used at work -- but it appeared to be satisfactory, at least in her judgment.