Dressmaker Chapter Summaries

The Dressmaker- Rosalie Ham

Gingham

Event 1: Tilly arrives in Dungatar after a long train ride. This is first were we meet Sgt Farrat, who picks her up from the station. As they drive back to “The Hill” we find out things about Myrtle/Tilly Dunnage such as she is a seamstress and dressmaker. We also get hints as to a tragedy that Tilly was involved in years ago as they drive through the town of Dungatar.  When they get to the house on The Hill, Tilly is reunited with her mad mother “Mad Molly” who has been neglected and cast away from society. Tilly then cares and feeds Molly and cleans up the house.

Event 2:  We gradually meet the rest of the town and discover they aren’t very friendly people except for a select few such as the McSwineys including Teddy. Tilly first meets Teddy when he offers her a wheelchair for her mad mother. When the town’s folk discover that Tilly “the murderess” is back they are in complete outrage once again hinting at an incident Tilly was involved in.

Event 3: Teddy invites Tilly to the footballers dance and after some persuasion Tilly finally agrees. Once they arrive at the dance everyone in the room stops and stairs at Tilly in her wonderful skill fully crafted dress. Everyone is in awe of how good she looks but outraged that she has the nerve to show up and that her dress is so revealing compared to the other girls frocks. Teddy and Tilly remain in the rest of the night at their table. Teddy swears that he doesn’t care but Tilly feels bad.

Shantung

Event 1: Barney, Teddy’s simple minded brother, askes Tilly to go to the races with him. She eventually agrees. When Teddy shows up she asks if Teddy put him up to this and Barney replies with a shameful yes. Teddy and Tilly once again share an outing together and their feelings towards each other are now becoming obvious.

Event 2: Now that the ladies of Dungatar know that Tilly can make gorgeous dresses they are all flocking to her asking for all these different items. Tilly makes a business out of it and ends up making Gertrude’s wedding dress. Seeing as William and Gertrude must get married otherwise they will become the latest scandal of a couple living in sin even though they do not love each other. Sgt Farrat also reveals his secret love of cross dressing to Tilly after seeing her new shipment of materials and they talk of fashion.

Event 3: Teddy finally reveals his feelings for Tilly and the pair shares a kiss before they go to the ball organised by the newly formed social club where Tilly has made most of their dresses. When Tilly arrives she is instantly insulted but Beula and Evan so the pair leave and go to Teddy’s caravan. She then reveals her past in Europe and her son that dies and the rest of her life story she believes she is cursed and warns Teddy to not get involved. He says he doesn’t care and proposes to which Tilly says yes. They then sit on top of a silo together talking when tilly once again states she is cursed to prove she isn’t Teddy jumped of the Silo into a bucket he thought would be full of wheat. But the silo was full of sorghum and he falls straight to the bottom and suffocates.

Felt

Event 1: Sgt Farrat brings Tilly back to his house to get her to recount what happened. They talk about the last time she was accused of murder. Tilly is obviously distraught making the loss of Teddy feel so much worse for readers. Sgt Farrat writes the report that no one was to blame for Teddy’s death simply he just slipped and fell. But alas the town’s people still blame Tilly, she blames herself also. So Sgt Farrat has to persuade her to go to Teddy’s funeral which the whole town is attending. They go together and Sgt Farrat gives a speech about Teddy and Tilly and that he was trying to prove his love for Tilly and that you should forgive her but the people of Dungatar do not listen.

Event 2: Una Pleasance arrives to replace Tilly making dresses for the women of Dungatar social club. Although she is a qualified seamstress and dressmaker she has no sense of fashion and creates these hideous dresses for the ladies. Tilly now works for some ladies of Winyerp and it seems as though they are a lot nicer to Tilly and always pay on time. Once Una sees that her customers aren’t happy she asks Tilly for assistance but she declines

Event 3: The ladies of the social club and Winyerp drama club suggest that all the ladies put on a play, with awards going to the best actors and the best costumes. The ladies then fight over who Tilly makes costumes for. Una is then kicked out of town because the women are unsatisfied with her dresses.