How about a dress giveaway? Yes, a dress for you!

***************** GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED!  The winner is Kelli ************************

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Here’s how this is going to work:  I am going to sew a dress for myself and you (well, one of you) will win a free dress from Shabby Apple! 

I’ve wanted a dress that looks like a blouse on top and a skirt on the bottom, but every time I start down that path, I wonder how it will launder.  I found an idea that will totally work:

The Traveler: I love the length of the slim sleeves and the empire waist.

 I will use a shirting on the top and, like the inspiration dress, I’ll use something with a little lycra on the skirt and I will use colors that can be laundered together.

Now, a black and white dress like this is still on my wishlist, like this:

Frida K. - just a little dressier than The Traveler and I think I'd need those shoes, too!

And notice the lack of a collar- I suppose that is what has always hung me up.  If I used a shirt pattern for the top, I expected to have a collar, too.  But it  looks really nice with the tie and then you can have a zipper in the back:

I am not sure if I’d do the exposed zipper – I may just insert an invisible zipper.  Then again, I like it, so we'll see.

Whether or not this dress will fit you, I say enter to win!  Personally, I would order the size that fits my shoulders because I think that is the hardest part to fit.

Use the dress as your "storebought muslin", like I did when I sewed these exercise shorts. 

Put the dress on, figure out where it doesn’t fit and make it work.  Have you seen Connie Crawford’s fitting DVD?  It looks super useful.

Slash & spread to your heart’s content to adjust the fit, then use it as a pattern to sew a perfectly fitted dress for yourself.  What do you think?  I have used worn-out shirts and pants to create new patterns.  I have also bought something brand new, just to use it as a pattern. It felt a little weird, but I do get a lot of use from those shorts.

Would you do it?  Would you actually cut into a perfectly healthy dress, in order to make a pattern for yourself?  I'd want to make plenty of dresses to justify the sacrifice.  I guess I am really just talking to those of you who are like me, who have a really hard time with fitting, so, you know, you will do almost anything to dress well. 

Interested? 

Go to Facebook and like ShabbyApple here.

Leave me a comment (tell me what you think!) and be sure to include your email address if it's not in your profile.  

The drawing closes Wednesday night, December 21 at 7pm EST.  I'll randomly select the winner & send you an email to get your address.  If you have questions about what size to get, the fitting process or sewing, let's chat! 

The good folks at Shabby Apple will send you The Traveler dress.  This is available for mailing addresses in the US only.

If you need this dress right this minute, get 10% off - use coupon code ALS10OFF when you check out.  

Thank you to Shabby Apple for spreading the love!