almost finished frocks, part 1

First things first: this is not my incredible cocktail deck. Or lush garden. We’re very lucky to be house-sitting for some great pals, and I lugged my machine and half-finished dress over here in a fit of crazy.

Here’s a dress that I made over the course of two evenings, fueled by the fumes of the Weekend Sewing workshop and a couple yards of Italian cotton that feels like melted silk in your hands. Making this style was a bit of a gamble, but I was reeled in by Heather's copy about wearing this all weekend long, for trips to the farmer’s market and fabric store. There’s nothing like some evocative copy to tip me over the edge and commit.

I need to add the spaghetti straps, because strapless dresses make me look like a pinhead with my short hair. But I think it will be a great beach cover up or kick-around sundress on vacation. And it feels like I'm wearing a breeze when I put this thing on.

Lastly, I think my husband took about four dozen photos, and I thought that 99.9 percent of them were completely unflattering to either me or the dress. I know that’s totally vein. And I still think I look smug or sort of peeved in this photo, but it shows the dress best. This work it, work it routine definitely needs more practice if I am to continue dress making and the subsequent show and tell. Let me tell you, this is something that I really hope to keep up, because it feels very good for the soul to make a dress and wear it while sipping rose on a borrowed deck.