BLOG: My magic sparkly party dress

By Natasha Nathan

For my birthday, in March this year I was totally unprepared, you might even say, it suddenly came as a shock. Since I was a little girl it was always a family tradition to wear a new outfit on your special day. Because of the COVID-19, I had to self-isolate, as I am in the vulnerable group. This means it will be extremely harder for me to recover if I was to get the virus. I became very withdrawn and my autism took over and I had days of a complete meltdown.

So with no time to buy a birthday outfit, I looked in my cupboard for something I haven't worn, which I could upcycle and I came across one dress. So on my actual birthday, I set out, to put something sparkly and magic on it.  I looked for some sparkly ribbons, from my ribbon bags. Having had a good rummage, I pulled out a couple of different ribbons. Putting them lengthways on to my dress to see which one it suited and looks best? With my chosen two, ribbons, I got some matching thread and sewed on all the gold sparkly ribbon around the top and middle panel, of my dress. Then I found the green sparkly ribbon and sewed it all the way around the bottom of my dress. 

It drives my husband mad when I sew because, I never pin the ribbon, into place, or cut the ribbon first to the right size, so there is always a long trail of ribbon hanging down. 

Suddenly my magical dress formed, ready for my indoor party of a birthday takeaway. Ready to spread some magic and love and hope. Sparkly ribbons, are my way of bringing happiness into peoples’ lives. Secretly they are trails left by angels uniforms and watch closely for my butterflies ss they are angels floating about, travelling in disguise.

Thinking of you all, stay well, stay safe, please stay home. 

Natasha, your Harrogate Self-Advocacy Health Rep