What Do You Do?

What do you do when your barely over five foot tall daughter (though quite tall for a Hobbit) brings home a gown she must wear for the Festival Chorus?

What do you do when she tries on the dress which was made for an Amazon woman?

What do you do when most of the skirt pools around on the floor  like a black, satin lake?

What do you do when you are told, the gown may not be permanently altered to fit your daughter?

First you panic!

Why didn't they give you this dress last week when the new dress order was placed? We could have had time to think. Think.

And I thought.

We could pin the hem!

No, the pins would be pokey when she walked. And they would leave holes.

Staples! If they didn't leave holes going in, they certainly would leave holes when pulled out.

Scotch tape.

Not sticky enough.

Duct tape.

Too sticky. The glue residue might remain on the dress.

What then? What then?

Light bulb!

Painter's tape!

Sticky enough to hold the substantial satiny fabric, but not too sticky. 

Up went the hem.

Six and a half inches all the way around.

The hem is up.

As she slowly turns, the hem appears to be even!

She walks in safety in the night.

Hopefully, the tape won't give way as she climbs up on stage and her riser.