The Other Dress-A-Day

For years, I read Erin McKean's blog---A Dress A Day---and she was one of  the inspirations for this 365 Day project. Well, the other day I was walking down Boulevard St. Germain here in Paris, and voilà!, Erin's book "The Secret Lives of Dresses" was featured. Here's the book in the window:

And here is the store:

I miss my little dress project!

See All My Dresses

I'm busy preparing for a trunk show, and it occurred to me that I might not be the only who wants to locate a particular dress, or see them all at once. Start by clicking this link, See All My Dresses, and you can then go to a particular dress or just see its date and number.

Kate's Dress Wins

In a survey of Kate Middleton's casual dresses, the one that inspired my Dress #52 Inspired by Kate was the clear winner! The post also shows other Kate favorites and a look at what's coming this spring from LK Bennett.

Dress #366 Finale

Well, here it is. My last dress. And yes, it is, in the tradition of the old couture shows, a wedding dress. Fabric, lace, ruffles and pearls in a sophisticated silhouette for my finale. I am both happy and sad that my year is complete. I've enjoyed nearly every moment---admittedly, there were times I didn't want to make a dress. In general, though, once I started, I enjoyed the creative process. What have I learned from this endeavor? 1.) I like fabric, but using paper as fabric was a new pleasure for me. 2.) I found it very difficult to not accept suggestions from others. I like to please, but I wanted this to be entirely my own creativity. 3.) The more you do, the more ideas you have. 4.) Recognition and praise is addicting and terrifying. 5.) It is impossible to me to work neatly. 6.) Waists really make dresses look good! 7.) A little glitz makes me very happy. 8.) Every dress idea produced ideas for other projects. I intend to document those project on this blog as this next year unfolds. 9.) 366 is a lot of little dresses! and 10.) Blogging about a commitment is an excellent motivator.

For all of you who have followed along for the year, thank you. I appreciate all those page views, and if you've made comments, please know that they meant the world to me. Eileen, thank you for sending me the care package of ribbons when I realized I'd left my collection at home. Sandy, thank you for your dialog with  me about how I would display and share them when I finished, and for inviting me to come and speak at your group. Anticipating that presentation will keep me from feeling bereft at the loss of the daily "happy hour." And mostly important, thank you, Jeff, for putting up with the mess, and supporting me 100% all year long. Never did you groan or complain about the money or the effort. Thank you everyone!

Dress #365 Black Roses

This is one of my favorite looks---all the interest in the skirt fabric with a plain black sweater. It is more unexpected than the usual plain black skirt or pants with the fancy top. A very fancy ribbon from the scrapbooking world, black felt for the sweater, and a ribbon belt. The necklace is some chunky embroidery thread that I've had for years.

Dress #364 Bottle Green

The skirt for today's dress is from a water bottle I found on the street in Paris. I think the brand is from Croatia. Lovely bottle. The bodice is a recycled Sprite bottle. Lining is tissue paper, and some gold for the belt.

Dress #363 Pink and Gray Lace

I love lace. I love gray. I love pink and gray together. That's it.