Remember the 2008 charity drive? Doesn't it seem a million years ago? It ended January 6, and according to the widget, we raised $1250 for Books Through Bars! Which is fantastic, given how completely horrible the economic news has been …

And I did promise that I would name a character in my forthcoming novel, The Secret Lives of Dresses (due out from Grand Central AND Hodder in 2010! And in Dutch and German sometime after that!) after one of the generous donors, and … the winner is … Maureen Boyle!

This character, as far as I know now, sports a Bettie Page haircut, fixes motorcycles, knits, and is studying HVAC. (All this is subject to change before publication.)

If you'd like to know my randomizing methodology, it's this — I dumped all the email addresses into an Excel file, assigned them all random numbers using Excel's RAND function, and then sorted on that number. Maureen came out on top!

I want to thank all of you who contributed to this year's fundraiser … the money we raised will go towards books for women prisoners in particular.

If you want to be more involved with books for prisoners, Books Through Bars has set up this cool interactive map of programs in the US!

There was no way I wasn't going to love this dress. First of all, I love that color. Secondly, I love Isabel Toledo. (I actually met her — and her fantastic husband — once. She's even better in person.) Then, when you add in that she is wearing all that as THE FIRST LADY, well, you can see how one might become a bit overwhelmed.

And then those fantastic gloves! Swoon. [Disclosure: I have a vintage pair in just that color.]

I read a couple of pages of people's comments on this on the NYT caucus blog, and was disappointed that no one seemed to realize that Michelle Obama does what I advocate everyone should do: she wears what makes her happy. Could she have worn some boring royal-blue, be-Spanx-ed sheath, by Oscar de la Renta (no offense, Oscar, but you know what I'm talking about) and gotten relieved and approving nods from the Fashion Commentariat? You know she could. But she obviously loves those gloves: they made her happy, so she wore them. WITH a yellow wool lace Isabel Toledo!

The thing is, you can't please everyone all of the time. You can't even please most of the people most of the time. Which is why, especially when it comes to clothes, you have to please yourself. You're the one wearing them; you're the one in the pictures; you're the only one whose happiness is even remotely under your own control: so do what feels right!

I like this one too, even though it's not my taste. (In other words, I don't have a tulle-laden Jason Wu in my closet next to my green gloves.) I do think it looked great. But even if I didn't, I'd see that Michelle Obama is accessorizing it with the only things that really matter: confidence, happiness, and the kind of ease that comes from having made one's own decisions.

And that, my friends, is something that I hope the new First Lady brings firmly into fashion.

I keep thinking about the perfect winter dress. Of course, by "perfect winter dress," I mean "perfect winter dress for me," which is not everyone's perfect winter dress.

For me, a perfect winter dress would:

1. fit nicely under a cardigan sweater, and look cute with colored tights
2. be able to be made in a warm brushed cotton or lightweight wool without looking too goofy
3. accommodate pockets
4. have a raised or empire waistline to accommodate a bit of extra winter weight

I was thinking about Vogue 8469, but I really don't like puffy sleeves. (I suppose I could deflate them without too much trouble.) Here's the line-drawing for it. I'm not showing you the illustration because it is SO CUTE made up in POLKA DOTS that I am afraid it will cloud your judgment. I am also not showing you this version by contrariwise of Pattern Review, because it, too, is WAY TOO CUTE.

So — what do you think? Could you see it in a really fine and drapey Liberty babycord? A lightweight brushed wool flannel? A heavy silk? Some Liberty Jubilee, if I ever find any again? It only takes two yards of dress fabric and 5/8ths of a yard of lining, so that's a big plus. If not this dress, what do you think would be a good pattern for a short, layerable, winter dress? (I would make more Duros, but they just don't really work well under cardigans!)

And also: nagging. I feel as if there are a bunch of hanging threads I need to follow up on here, but I can't remember them. Contest winners? Completed projects that need photographing and posting? If you remember, nag me, and I'll see what I can do.

Have you all been following the CPSIA story? I mentioned it briefly once before, but there have been some ongoing developments.

In the last few days, the CPSC regulators have issued some vague statements that SEEM to say that resellers (consignment stores and thrift stores) won't have to test items for resale, although they are still subject to penalties if they sell items that test positive for lead, and that children's books are not subject to the new law unless they have "play value" — like vinyl bath books. But check out this letter which calls for regulators to "hit the pause button" until all of this can be worked out … instead of having the law go into effect February 10.

However, this still doesn't take into account small Etsy-type sellers of children's clothes and toys, which is disturbing. The best overview of the problem and what you can do to help is still at Fashion Incubator. (The latest post is here.) This Etsy post is also a good place to start.

Sandritocat is having a sale! It starts 1/16 at midnight and will last until 1/18 at midnight. (I'm not sure whose midnight … you might want to shop early, just in case.) Receive 20% off your order, and you can combine this sale with the free shipping offer (but no other offers). When you order, mention "3 Day Sale" in the message box. You can either wait for a revised invoice or, if you want to pay immediately through Paypal, Sandra will refund the difference.

It is so freakin' cold here in Chicago right now that I can't even imagine when it would be possible to wear this dress, but I know lots of you are in warm places … Remind me what that feels like? You can tell me after I put on this third pair of socks.

Lisa sent me the link to this eBay auction, ending Saturday. Go ahead and click through, you really owe it to yourself to look at this dress.

It's listed by Fast Eddie's Retro Rags (Their motto: Vintage for Your Inner Delinquent) and, at time of this writing, was at a Buy It Now price of $175 … Bust 38.

Forget bicycles and rulers, I am now feeling a distinct lack of bongo-themed clothing in my life. I am also saddened to realize that my inner delinquent is pretty much my outer delinquent, except my inner delinquent 1) remembers to PUT ON the red lipstick she bought and 2) never gets it on her teeth.

I don't usually make new year's resolutions — I mostly just try AGAIN to do all the things I really, really meant to do in the previous year — but if I were to make a resolution for 2009, it might be NOT to buy new fabric until I've made a dent in the fabric I already have.

Okay, let's see a show of hands from folks who have also made this resolution, in any year. (Hollow laughter optional.)

Of course, on the heels of that resolution, Stephanie kindly sends me this:

Wouldn't this make just the cutest ever shirtdress? I would, however, draw the line (no pun intended) at pencil buttons, as I am not a teacher. (But if you wanted to, I wouldn't judge. I'm not a judge, either.)

What would you do with this fabric? I know it's not to everyone's taste, so "set it on fire," is a perfectly acceptable answer …

Did everyone but me know there's an exhibit about Yves St Laurent on in San Francisco right now? It runs through April 5, so I'm hoping to have a chance to see it …

Erin S., who seems to have an eye for the awesome, made her own version of the Mondrian dress to wear to the exhibit! All together now: That's Really Cool. She sent me a pic — check it out!

(It's actually vintage, but it's new to me!)

I swear, folks named Rita are really good luck for me lately. Rita C. emailed me out of the blue and said "Not positive you would be interested in this bicycle fabric …" Bicycle fabric! I don't think I finished the sentence before I clicked the link. I can't remember the last time I browsed fabric on eBay, so there's no way I would have seen this fabric without Rita's kind offices.

It was Buy It Now, too! Check it out:

It was from seller MarilynSue, although she doesn't have too much other fabric listed right now.

I love that this was marketed as a time-saver — don't wait for your fabric to be cut, just grab a "pak" and go! This is the fabric equivalent of bagged lettuce (which I love, btw)! I wonder if it was sold at stores that didn't otherwise have a fabric department, like the crappy thread they sell in the grocery store — or used to, I haven't seen a notions section in a grocery store for ages.

What will this turn into? Well, it's 4 yards at 35 inches wide, so probably a narrow shirtdress of some kind. When I know, you'll know!

I must be getting old, because this pattern from the 1980s is engendering a kind of gauzy nostalgia (instead of nausea) in me. Granted, in the 1980s I wasn't really in a Dynasty-era power-dressing place (I was in jr. high, which requires power dressing of a different kind), but I don't think I expected to like this dress (at Cemetarian) as much as I do.

[ETA: Whew, I haven't suddenly caught 1980s nostalgia. (Which is good, since the cure is painful and involves jelly shoes and listening to a lot of WHAM!) Rita checked the date on this pattern and it's from 2003.]

Of course, that horrible beige color has to go (and the hat has to go, too — sorry, all you hat-lovers out there). Those pointy shoes should be replaced with lace-up high-heeled oxfords, and I would shorten the sleeves to 3/4 or bracelet length …

Wouldn't this be nice in gray flannel, with a choker of gobstopper-sized cloisonné beads?