I Like Pigeons Because Nobody Else Does

A tarantula:

and a leaf-nosed bat:

We’ve got a large backlog of bats in the freezer at the museum. Most of them are from the County veterinarian who is obligated to investigate the animals turned in by the public.  He gives them to the museum for the collection after they’ve been tested for rabies but we have a very limited number of people - make than singluar, person - who has the knowledge and time to prepare them. Our one bat preparer, Suzanne, has been sidelined by an illness and is only able to come to the museum sporadically. She taught me how to prepare them last week and here’s a photo of my first, a hoary bat:

I have been looking for a particular shirt-dress pattern that lies only in the realm of vintage fashion. Fortunately there are scads of websites peddling garment patterns from as far back as the 1930s and can be had for <$20. I just bought this swell pattern at Booty Vintage.  I’ll do something to it to tone down the matronliness and up the swank factor…although the one on the left looks pretty swanky as is. I’ve never sewed vintage patterns, but I hear that the fit is completely different than modern patterns. Ann, do you know anything about these?