Little Miss Girl Boss

Emily decided back in December she wanted to enter the sewing competition for FCCLA.  She had a vision of a jacket and wanted her very talented Nona to help her make it fabulous.   

She spend every spare moment she had at Pauline's house working on this project.  Pauline mentioned to me that she chose the hardest fabric to work with.   No surprise to me Emily knows what she wants and isn't easily swayed.  

She titled her project "Little Girl Boss" and made the cutest poster and presentation with it. Here are some of the photos that made it in the presentation.  

 She wasn't quite finished with her coordinating skirt for Regions so was pretty happy when she got a silver metal and positive comments about her jacket.   She especially loved the comments she got about how well she lined up the fabric to match perfectly.  

then it was off to the State Convention.   Emily finished all the loose ends and put some extra time into her presentation.   She felt so good about it and told me she commented that the best part of this project was that she got to spend so much time with her Grandma being coached by her through the project.  She was glowing when someone came up to her and gave her a card and told her her jacket was amazing and it was too bad because she hosts some sort of Wool only sewing contest and she should make something out of wool and enter it.  

Emily participated in the fashion show and really showed her "little miss girl boss spirit". 

She also performed with Alix a karaoke "love is an open door" from frozen.  

A few days later I started getting disappointed/sad texts from Emily saying she got her ribbon back and she barely scored enough to get a silver.    What made it even more hard was everyone else in the group got Gold.   I was shocked and angered knowing Pauline Richards is a master and if she was coaching Emily it was A+  job!    I started to give her a maybe next time, don't let you get down speech to be a good mom but then I just got angry and laid into the judges telling her they obviously don't know diddly squat about sewing.    Bart told me not to tell his mom because she might have a few words to say and call up someone about it.   I also reminder her got rave remarks from someone who wants her to enter something made out of wool.   

After a few days and Emily was a little less emotional about it we talked through how you can't always trust others peoples judgements.  Pauline agreed that not all sewing judges know enough to see all the intricate work that went into that jacket.   Emily mentioned a few of the comments said things like "Too confident in her presentation".   What the heck!!!   How can someone be too confident.   I told her that unfortunately women are often threatened by other women's confidence.   To me it was obvious some mediocre lady did not like this confident teenager".     Emily's super power has always been confidence!  She is true to herself and an amazing example of not caring what other people think about her.    I hate that women are labelled bossy when men aren't.   The trick it to out trick those insecure people by not letting their judgement stop you from being great!    I hope she enters that wool only contest and knocks it out of the ballpark.   (Don't know when she'll find time to do it but maybe it will happen).    Either way I hope she can trust her gut and know her work was Gold standard.