Is that I really, really, don't like to go on a trip without having made a new dress. (I also don't like to go to a wedding unless I've made a new dress. I feel the opposite of Thoreau — instead of "beware of all enterprises that require new clothes," I feel "if it's not important enough for a new dress, why bother?")

Sadly, because of the pressures of work, I take off for Shanghai and Tokyo tomorrow without a new dress in my suitcase. It's more of a suit trip, anyway, but that doesn't make it any better. And, I know, I know, I should be ecstatic to be going with or without a new dress, but it would be BETTER with a new dress! Because everything is better with a new dress.

If I did miraculously get another day to make a new dress in, I think I'd want to make this one:


Only in a charcoal springy wool, for maximum packability. And I'd make the pocket welts contrasting, and maybe pipe the midriff of the dress in a contrasting fabric, too. Pale blue? That would be pretty.

Okay, must go prep for trip WITH CLOTHES I ALREADY ACTUALLY HAVE. Dammit.

Oh, and btw, click on the image to buy this pattern. It's cheap (starting bid $2.50) and cute and B36! I'm tempted to buy it myself, but I've sworn no new patterns until I sew that hippie chick dress.

Or maybe an X-acto knife? I dunno. I prefer auctions that show the pattern envelope, unphotoshopped, especially if they show the back too. But I do know that this dress is ADORABLE, right? Especially the one on the right.

I really like the keyhole-plus-collar combo. I'd love to make this is a crisp pique or even a polished cotton. It would look smashing in one of those tiny-repeat Japanese blue-and-white prints, which I'm sure have a name. (You can tell I'm starting to think about fabric shopping in Tokyo, right? If you have recs please email me!)

Unfortunately, this pattern is only a size 12, which means size 30 bust. Which means it won't fit me without major surgery. If it fits you grab it, it's $12.99, or best offer. I'll probably feature another pattern from this seller tomorrow, so don't snoop in her listings if you want to be surprised. Otherwise, have at it!

The Eskimos, I'm told, have seventeen different words for shades of white. This is even more than there are in my imagination.

from DV by Diana Vreeland (italic hers), which I am enjoying more than I even thought possible. The only problem is that I can't read too much at once or else I start to talk like DV herself, and frankly, even she had trouble pulling that off at times!

Everyone who still believes that the Eskimos have X words for snow should go read The Great Eskimo Vocabulary Hoax, right now. Or check out Geoff Pullum's Language Log postings here and here.

'Cause if this blog WERE nominated for, say, a Bloggie, I sure wouldn't refuse the honor. (I'm just saying.)

The only thing that would make it better would be if there were a huge awards ceremony that involved making a new dress. Maybe a red chiffon one?

I want this with an unnatural and possibly unholy desire. The dress on the left, natch. Which I want to make in sheer red organza with a red satin sash, in order to take it from "terrified (and heavily drugged) child bride" to "whore" in one short step, but either way it's wrong.

I could also see it in black organza, but that would be "I killed four husbands, but they can't prove anything! Want to come up for a drink, big boy?"

Somebody, do me a favor and click on the image to buy it before I lose all reason, 'kay? Cause it's my size and I might not be able to hold out much longer. It's $26, which is a small price to pay to avoid having to see me in red organza with ruffles. (Or, ooooh, grass green lawn! With a floral chintz sash!) Hurry! There's not much time.

I love how belligerent the women in this illustration look. They are just one sidewise glance away from a real, cinematic-quality, GLOW-style catfight.

But I'm not buying this pattern, even though I love the design (and the illustration) because I think I have all the parts and I can do that trim effect on the neck and sleeves myself. And probably will, very soon.

I'm pretty lazy — I think I told Jonquil that I'm perfectly happy to pay Vogue Patterns $20 to do math for me so I wouldn't have to figure out how to make a tiered skirt — but I won't pay for a pattern that just tells me how to add some bias trim or a shaped facing.

If you don't already have this bodice and skirt kicking around in your collection, go ahead and click on the image!

There's no fabric description on this, so it might be polyester — nobody "forgets" to mention that something is silk — but I love the print. It has a zipper up the back (which I hate) — but I love the print. It might be 1980s — but I love the print. The only reason I haven't clicked "Buy It NOW"–it's only $15–is that it's just slightly too large for me (38/32/38) and I don't need any more reasons to eat the leftover Christmas candy than I already have.

I've also resolved that I'm not going to apologize for my taste in wacky prints any more. Doesn't it leave more plain black clothes for everyone else? I am performing a public service, even if it sometimes confuses people. Like the time I was in Nordstrom's, wearing an orange striped skirt, orange tights, and an orange sweater (I also really like orange, so sue me) and I heard the salesclerk say "Oh, it's right over there, just past the woman in the …. black boots." I managed to make it down the escalator before cracking up.

Anyway, if this is your size, it's probably worth asking the seller (Maggie Flower's Vintage Clothing) what the fabric is, and if it's not polyester, it's certainly worth $15!

It's a good thing that it didn't even cross my mind to resolve not to buy more fabric in 2006, because it's what, Jan 3? and I have clicky fingers on eBay again. Isn't this gorgeous? It's Marimekko fabric from the 1990s. It's not actually what I bought, though — at $55, plus shipping from AUSTRALIA, it's a little too pricey for me for 138 x 100 cm. Also, although I love Marimekko, like all right-thinking individuals, you always run the risk of blending in with someone's couch and pillows when you sew with home dec fabric (it's usually a risk I'm willing to take, if the fabric is cheap enough). However, I wasn't able to resist this:

Isn't that great? It was much cheaper than the Marimekko too, if also a bit smaller. I'm sure I have that 1-yd skirt pattern still lying around somewhere, or I can use it as a accent fabric for that Hippie Chick Hotpatterns dress.

Go check out Retro Age–they have tons of amazing fabric. And it's a good exercise in patience, to wait the weeks that it will take to have the fabric come from Australia!

Sorry for the sidewise view, but the full-on was a bit fuzzy. Go check out the auction for a better look. And do it in a hurry — this one ends Jan 3. I don't usually post things that are ending so soon, but this is B49/W37, in perfect shape, and the starting bid is $39.99. So go!

It's hard to find larger sizes in good condition; one theory is that they've always been so sparse on the ground that they get worn to death. The other is that, since they're larger, they get cut down into smaller garments. I'm sure there are other theories out there, some of which probably involve the old socks-and-the-dryer chestnut, but hey, if you put a dress like this in the dryer you deserve to have it disappear!

The dress is rayon, the buttons rhinestone, the dots heavy net. Really a stunner. Check out the other VintageTrend auctions while you're there; lots of good stuff!

New Year's Eve is probably one of the few nights of the year where people really dress up. So, while you are all gulping coffee and having a morning after the night before, why don't you take a moment to comment and tell me what you were wearing yesterday? Don't be shy!

Me, I went out to dinner with Mr. Dress A Day (at Frontera Grill yum, plus: mariachis! Everything is better with mariachis!). I wore an ankle-length half-circle black silk skirt (yes, I know, not a dress, but the restaurant wasn't fancy enough — or the night warm enough — for my usual NYE dresses), a white tee, a pale gray cashmere cardigan, a double strand of choker-length Carolee pearls, a big new pink-and-silver Swatch, pale pink fishnets, my silver 1950s lunchbox handbag, and these shoes:

I topped the whole thing with my 1950s velvet clutch coat with the big collar. I'm really, really fond of those shoes; too bad I only feel justified wearing them once a year!

So: what about you?