Project Runway

My apologies for the gratuitous boob shot, but this was the best picture I could get of my new dress. I need to get one of those dressmaker's dummies (anything with the word dummy in it was MADE for me!) to avoid these horrors. But anyhow, today I am a designer!

I was wasting time ogling other people's creations on Burda and I noticed a whole lot of contributors have made something called an "infinity dress". So I did some research and discovered that this is one of those dresses you could buy at places like Sears and all sorts of mall clothing stores a year or two back that converted itself via the straps so it could be worn several ways, for several looks. If I recall correctly, these dresses went for something outrageous like $60 or $80. And seeing so many people having success with this, I set out to make one of my own. It seemed so simple (and believe me, a monkey could've whipped this thing up--there are about four pieces to it), I decided to try making it without a pattern (shriek!!). And here is the result!

This is my first attempt at making something without a pattern, and the fact that it's actually wearable (assuming you have anywhere to wear it, which I don't) has left me feeling awfully successful. I used a heavier jersey, which I found for $2/metre in a discount bin at Wal Mart, and I made the skirt full-length, so whichever way I choose to wear it, it's not really something I can use for anything but a gala or ball. But now that I know how to do it, I'm thinking I could get something lighter and make a shorter skirt for a more casual look. Not that I ever wear dresses. But this was such a quick project (seriously, it took a little over an hour from start to finish) that I'm tempted to talk myself into believing I could wear more dresses. At a total cost of $6 for this one, I could perhaps be convinced to make myself a running-the-kids-to-school dress, a puttering-in-the-garden gown, and a whipping-up-a-pot-of-spaghetti frock (that one will have to be dark, with a pattern on it to hide the inevitable stains).

So basically, laziness and cheapness have become my reason for adopting a more feminine style out here in the back of beyond.

Now, that's my kind of fashion trend.