Flapper Dick

"When I went to school the teacher wore a full on dress like I am. Clerks in the stores have a vest on to show they work there. No reason to have separate skirts for a skirt on account of we are either teachers, clerks, secretary or waitress. None of those call for anything that you can't wear a dress doing, so no reason to make. I think I will make a suit for me, I mean if I am going to be a dick and have to have a pistol."

"That makes sense." Fred says this so I am a little shocked.

"Is that your first thing to make?" Look back at Giovanni and shake my head.

"Definitely not, I will make a silk dress. I want to make sure I can work silk and then that silk is so lovely." Giovanni is nodding and even grins.

"I rather want you to make more dresses with that silk." Frown now since there is one thing.

"I better mention one thing, I won't have the energy to investigate capers and waitress if I make dresses to sell with that silk. It is beautiful and would be in high demand if the price is under a sawbuck."

"I agree, no selling that but I want to make sure you can use the silk before anything else." Stare at Fred not getting it then snort.

"I see, you want to take me out of the silk dress." Fred snorts.

"Not the only one." Giovanni is nodding so I am grinning.

"I guess that means back to your place to set up and get to work a little?"

"Our place and I don't see why not, warehouse is filled for another three hours, I am going in four hours. Only take an hour to get to his office and get approval so then you likely will have a car to ride in with them, or Giovanni will drop me off."

"Also gives you a chance to advertise making a better fit jacket."

"Good point, jackets are fairly fast once I figure out how to make it fit with a pistol. I am thinking make it fit for a thicker fella, shoulders are always out to a distance, but belly bulges can be accounted for."

"So my first jacket may not fit right?" Shake my head since I can adjust on the fly while making.

"No, a jacket isn't a length of cloth cut so it fits to you like that, it is two pieces for the front and back and then two more for the arms, those are cut and sewn to make a tube. Part of the pattern shows how to enlarge cuts for arms if the fella is above a certain thickness, since he would hang his arms different but will want to cross his arms."

"Do all skirts know this?" Shake my head and grin since I got training.

"I got training to be a tailor. Most tailors take on after their father or uncle since most think that a fella is the only one able to fit a fella. Why most tailor shops are only doing suits even. I hired on with a tailor on account of he lost his son in the war, and I learned to sew anyway."

"Good fit for you then. I am curious, are you going to make it a short dress with the silk or longer?"

"I am undecided, silk is usually a longer dress, but then I got enough to make two dresses. I am thinking I will cut out a dress and get it together then check on me. Only add pockets and collars after you get it together anyway."

"Speaking of that, why do pockets get a rip of late?"

"That goes back to the factory, they make pockets out of two lengths of cloth, it is all sewn together. Tailor pockets can be done the same way, or the old style where you take a length of cloth and fold it over then sew. The sides can tear but the bottom won't unless you shiv it. It is being done with the two lengths now since less cloth and faster to do, simply cut it all out and sew it then add it to the trousers later."

"Is that why I have been buying pants?" Fred asks getting me to giggle and nod.

"Trousers are done by a tailor, pants are done by a factory so not proper trousers. So Mr. Capone has nice trousers, you have nice pants."

Fred is smiling but no more talking, we are on his street. Our street I suppose since I am moving in. Get handed the keys and shown the right one to unlock the door so leave Giovanni and Fred to getting my stuff out of the jalopy and head for the door. Get that opened then notice our neighbor watching on her porch so wave.

She waves back then gets big eyes seeing the sewing machine going in. She is off her porch in an instant and coming over so I am thinking she wants dresses, or perhaps mending. Not everybody is good at that, which the stores like.

"Are you a tailor?" Shake my head and wink.

"Waitress though I did receive training in it. I am getting all this stuff because Giovanni there wants a better fit on his jacket, has a pistol under so sits odd." She is nodding then frowns.

"Wait, so the big lug is made now?" Shake my head.

"We got a caper, our work is short two bottles of the high end brown plaid. So we took the information to the outfit, our supplier, and we talked to Mr. Capone. He decided Fred and I are a dick, not precisely for him, though I get the feeling other capers will be brought to us from him." She is nodding and rubbing her chin.

"Will have to pass on to my fella, but still that is rather handy. Gives us a sort of avenue into them so we can ask you about things, see if it was Capone or someone else." I am really unsure on that so grab Giovanni while he is going by to get the rest of the cloth.

"She is talking about telling the bulls to come talk to us about things done they want to investigate." Giovanni frowns for a moment then snorts.

"I see, ask you to ask if we did that." I am nodding and slightly confused, and not all in one since word is Capone half owns the bulls. "Definitely, marks you two as not made. A made man would never share anything with a bull, hopefully. You two talking to the bulls makes everybody else go oh maybe we can trust them." I'm not seeing that though it would give a nudge that way.

"Unsure on that though there is a question, how do we get the license?" She snorts and waves Giovanni on.

"Go in to the police station and fill out a form. It's easy and most of the time you simply get accepted and get a little card to carry. Every time he gets a number of bulls over they talk about the funny things, I can never tell if it is a line but funny." She stops there and stares at what Giovanni is carrying, the silk and a few more of the rolls I got for dresses. "Is that silk?"

"Yes, he paid for it, mostly to find out if I can work silk. He wants jackets made with silk, I was unsure on being able to work it. I am going to make a dress with it, unsure on what sort of dress though I am thinking spare, waitress dress is tiny."

"There are laws on dress sizes so it can't be that spare. I forget the actual law on it but I think it's longer than halfway to the knees."

"Waitress dress was right around that, I mean the apron covered more leg." Has her giggling with me since it is rather funny.

"Are you going to do tailor?"

"I will some, did you have an idea for a dress or want mending?"

"I wouldn't mind a silk dress, those are in the high end stores, can't afford those."

"I can't be selling the silk dress, if it's under a sawbuck I would need a factory to have any around to sell."

"How much did that cost?" Fred comes on to the porch.

"The silk roll cost four aces, there is enough for two dresses."

"Two dresses depends on how much I use to make the one dress. May have enough for two and may have enough for one with some extra after."

"If I can get another roll of the silk could you make me a dress?"

"I would charge you, mostly depends on how much goes into the dress, I mean if it's just a slip type that is easy and fast, if it's more like this dress. Take me a full day to do, or so."

"I knew that, still it is a silk dress. Just getting to wear one is better than I ever thought I'd do." I am nodding since I felt the same way.

"I know what you mean, tell your fella it is four aces for the silk and then an ace to me."

"Won't be getting it to you tomorrow, take us a bit to go through the books, make sure we can afford it."

"Hope you can and hope it takes you a while, need to figure out the design of this dress."

"Speaking of which do you want to come in and watch?" She looks up and shakes her head.

"Need to see about dinner, seasoning to do so it can sit." We see her off then Fred pulls me inside where I bounce since they set up the sewing machine.

"Before anything else, there is one thing. When her fella comes over to ask you have to say that you may not get much information from us."

"Probably lie too, but still it perhaps is a good thing for the bulls." Fred is nodding.

"Would remove one suspect right off. Oh and your luggage is in the bedroom, you can put it away later. Do you need a table?" Nod then look around and shake my head.

"I can use the joe table. Though if I am getting asked to do tailor work often I better get a table."

"I'm wondering why there is so much table to that." Follow his point and giggle, it is extended past the needle area to hold the cloth.

"It is extended out that way to hold the cloth. Mostly that is important for things like drapes since you have a big sheet. Little needed for dresses since most are a little long for the machine."

"I want to see you work the silk."

Giovanni has a point, and I want to try that too. The silk is so soft on my hand, like satin though better. Roll it out over the joe table to find it is lovely, the squares are large so there are perhaps three across the silk. About the same in width and then the squares are soft so there is a different color between.

Pull out the big patterns and find the dress one, it is the basic form of the dress. Likely need to cut out for my bubs but perhaps not too, sometimes the cloth can be stretched to fit, and then it is expanded to account for the stretch. Cut out what the pattern calls for, twice since I need two pieces, and do cut them different there are two patterns, one for the back and one for the front.

Front is cut different for the stretching, leaves me enough silk to cut out another dress with extra so I perhaps can cut two out of this. Then I take up the front piece and fit it to me to find it is long, not trailing on the floor but too long for a flapper. Perhaps a good length for an older skirt. Look at the silk hanging down there then up at Fred who looks confused.

"Fred I'm living with you now. That means you give me thoughts on dresses or you won't ever take me out of one again." Giovanni is chuckling though Fred at least opens his mouth.

"The coloring is wonderful, though it is a little long. If you leave it down there how do you dance?"

"Good question, though I can cut a seam into the skirt part so it will expand for my movement. Mostly I'm unsure on the length, I want to cut it shorter, but also a little unsure on that."

"Are you going to put arms?" Ponder that and shake my head.

"I will either leave it just like this or cut into it more so my shoulders are bare." Both are staring at me now then two sets of tossed hands.

"I think cut it shorter and then put it together so we can see the dress." Smile at Fred because that is a good idea.

"Absolutely."

So I take the two pieces and see how long it is from the floor to my knees then take out four inches. Armed with the proper length at least hopefully, I cut that length out of both. That done I then make sure there is enough space in the neck opening I can drop the dress over me and get it on. All that done over to the sewing machine to sew.

First sew is to make the shoulders, get both ends sewn on in two shakes of a tail. I am so loving this machine. That done I make sure the arm holes are good sized, then sew the sides up. Faster than I figured on doing this with a sewing machine I have the dress ready to try on and take a gander at. Both are staring when I just stand up and take my glad rags off.

Glad rags on the chair I am getting the dress on inside out. But then I don't know what all I need to do to this silk stuff. Takes a little moving to get it to hang right, but then I have both arms out and my head is through, hangs to just about my knees and is roomy.

"Wow." Fred says with Giovanni nodding so I am grinning then go into the bathroom for the mirror.

I'm a little disappointed in how my bubs are showing through the dress. The coloring is wonderful, and then the feel of it is simply divine. Then I remember I am designing the dress so look a little closer, even turn to look over my shoulder. From behind it looks beautiful, front is missing a little however.

Just stand there trying to figure out what it needs, this is hard. I mean besides the collar there is something else missing. Course you can't see my bubs worth spit either, maybe if I cut out for those and added more cloth. Shake my head after a moment because that isn't really what is wrong, and is. Little more stumped then I realize, can cut above my bubs to show those from above.

Back into the sitting room and take up the marking pen so I can mark about where to do it at. Fred and Giovanni are watching this until I marked the proper spot to cut to. Will have to add in edging, though that is easy and should be fast work with the machine. Just unsure on the shoulders so feel them and even try to bend in one side to find that is nice.

"What are you doing?"

"Figuring out what I need to do to this. Will cut out an expanse here so can see the top of my bubs, and fold over the shoulders a little then edge all of it."

"That fast?" Giovanni asks getting me to giggle.

"With this machine it will be done fast. I am able to get this dress nice fast because I have training in tailor, and then am a skirt."

"What about a collar?" Sigh and shrug since I don't think I will need one, though perhaps on the back.

"Interesting idea, will add a collar to the back, sort of a celestial collar in raised up. Also good since I do need to fold over the edges so it doesn't split later."

"I thought that was the edging." Shake my head and wink.

Just take the dress off then sit down on the sofa to cut out the front the way I decided. That done I take up more silk to fashion the collar. Course I can't take that to the machine so pull out the sewing needles and get to work sewing that on to the dress. Also sew it folded over so it will stay upright better.

I perhaps will want to put something stiff like cardboard in there to keep it up, but perhaps will stay. That done I am flipping the dress inside out so I am working on the outside and can do the edging. For this I am wrapping the edge of the silk in lace, a rather lovely length of white lace that has solid cloth under, so it is folded over the edge of the silk and sewn on.

Makes for a rather good fold over of the corners and looks good with the silk. I perhaps should have gotten other colors of the lace but I thought the white looked nicer. Course it is a little hard to hold the dress so the lace is stitched on and not the dress together. Still I do manage, and the shoulders folded over makes for a good look, with more lace.

Finished with all that I put the dress on and both are simply staring at me. Smile then go into the bathroom again to jump up and down, the look is bee's knees bar none. Back out to the sitting room and twirl, then drop lower to do splits and find a small problem, doesn't want to let me bend that far down there.

"Seems to be a problem with the dress." Fred says getting me to roll my eyes.

"Yes, why I did that I wanted to check. No issue, simply going to cut the stitches and make a seam on both sides. That way I can pull up the dress and give out nookie."

Snip the stitches then back over to the machine to sew over the end, and the new seams. Then lace over everything and pull the dress on to clapping so I am grinning and twirl. Also time we went to talk to Mr. Capone again since we got a perhaps culprit to catch. No rule says they will come back today after all.

Also hungry so ask after a diner stop and we can do that, so off to a close diner and get a round of burgers. Get milkshakes so this day is so the bee's knees. Have both of the fellas laughing when I say that. After burgers and much admiration of my dress, and the skirt in it, we head for the hotel that Capone runs things out of.

Which I find odd, I mean it is a hotel that he is controlling the outfit from, though he has a house of his own. Not that I am going to question him on this. Also makes a little sense, he has to have someplace where people can go to talk to him or the others in charge that talk to him. Then we are going inside and find the same fella as before, he whistles at me so I am grinning.

"Did you stop and buy a dress?" Shake my head and wink.

"Giovanni here wants me to make him a jacket that fits better with a pistol. So we went to a store and got a machine and cloth, part of that was getting silk since I never have used silk before. Where this dress came from, wanted to make sure I can work silk, and then this silk isn't good for much besides a dress, it is colored the way you see." Fella is nodding and looks me over.

"Looks beautiful, and suppose means you will offer tailor services."

"Yes, but not what we came to talk about. We followed the trail to the warehouse and found out that someone seems to be sneaking in and pilfering bottles. They found nails on the floor two days ago so day before they found the boxes shy a bottle each." The fella is looking at Giovanni now and frowning.

"So you are wanting to set up watch over the warehouse?"

"Yes, we are unsure who is pilfering from us. Could be kids pilfering to sell or give to folks, could be adults pilfering to sell, drink, or show someone else that they know where we have our hooch."

"So you want a typewriter or a crew?"

"Both, Betty will set up watch with me and anyone else we are given. We want to catch who is doing this and question, if I go with a typewriter or a crew likely we simply shoot and best to question."

"Also the caper those two were asked to solve. I better ask up on this one." We watch him walk for the restaurant and there is one thing I want to ask about.

"So is he asking if we can have Giovanni to watch the warehouse or asking if they want to just send a crew to off the thieves?" Giovanni snorts.

"He is going to explain to Mr. Capone and then see what he says. I am unsure on whether I get a typewriter and go or we get a crew to go with us. Pilfering can be leading up to something else, and it could simply be kids who went a little over their heads."

Just stand there a little longer then there is Mr. Capone coming this way, behind him is a number of other fellas, most holding a violin case. I'm very unsure on this though Mr. Capone is smiling so perhaps we get a crew. Then he is there with us and looking me over, big smile at me then.

"Wonderful dress, there was talk you are doing jackets for the fellas." I am nodding since that was the idea on the machine anyway.

"I need to figure out how to get it to fit with a pistol, but after that I can make a bunch of jackets. I can work in silk too so I am sure Giovanni will find good silk to have me make jackets with."

"Just jackets or will you do up trousers for him too?"

"I'd rather just do the jacket, I am a waitress and you made me a dick, suppose we will get the license tomorrow. Got bulls living on the same street we are so they will perhaps ask us to ask you questions on capers." Mr. Capone frowns for a moment.

"Suppose I best hand over a number to call for such questions. Wouldn't want to make you come over here every time there is a caper the bulls think we pulled. Also have a gift for you, shoulder holster, perhaps won't wear much but better than pulling out of your purse tonight." He hands me a shoulder holster so I am a little surprised, Fred though is nodding.

"I didn't even think of that so thank you."

"Nothing to thank over, you two made great progress in a single day. Half sure my people would still be wondering about this caper." Giovanni is nodding.