The Right Preg at the Right Time. A Kidney-Shaped Dress To Make the Children Happy

It was pregnancy challenge time this week, so a lucky someone is getting a spanking new dress for her baby shower!

I cannot say that I have never made a maternity dress. In fact, I just did a few weeks ago. But this is the first one I have made for that which can no longer be hidden...

Since this dress was designed for a real person with real color preferences, I went ahead and broke my usual rule of only using bright colors, which should make Heather happy. Also what should make her happy is the floral material I used. She actually talked me into buying it months ago at a garage sale we went to together. I argued that I "don't do black" but conceded when she told me it would look good on Raine!

And how, do you ask, did I pregnify the dressform? It was easy. Some dollar-store bras, a couple socks, and a balloon from the bag I bought for the baby shower.

Show-wise, this dress still follows my strategy. I maintain my formula that for the first two or three shows, clean, cute, and pretty keep you alive. They always get rid of the designers that they can't understand first. Next will start the weeding out of people that do sloppy work, followed by the Boring.


I hope this dress looks good on the Kidney! Her shower is on Sep 29, so I'll add pictures of her wearing the dress after the event!

From the Beginning. Fit for the TV Land Awards

This week's challenge was to create a "red carpet" look for an awards show of your choosing. So, keeping consistent with my angle, of course I had to pick the TV Land Awards as my event.


Red carpets no longer necessarily mean satin evening gowns unless you're at the Oscars. For the TV Land awards, I went 50's retro, inspired once again by The Donna Reed Show, with what Donna's daughter, Mary (played by Shelley Fabares) would wear today.

With this design, there is some strategy.

As per my observation, Rule #1 on design shows: In the beginning, start simple, well-tailored, and pretty, with a hint of your signature style. The risks will come later. The weird people with ugly dresses that no one can understand are the ones that go home first.

I chose the era of inspiration on purpose. The 50's is the decade where I start, and will plan on showing a progression in a timeline from there!

Can you also see a few elements that I seem to favor as a signature look? I like the look of Bishop sleeves, and have used them in some manner a number of times before. I also like the look of a short-sleeves with long-sleeves sticking out underneath. It's not something you see very often and I think it looks cool and different!

Phail Bonus! This journey did not exactly begin well. I attempted to make a long dress with a gathered bust as my first red-carpet attempt. I surely would be ripped apart for making something that looked like a bridesmaid's dress. Important lesson finally learned, though! Satin is not my friend unless it's lining!

So Happy Holidays, 2008!

This is a picture of Trina's first holiday dress that is made of blue satin with a pleated bubble skirt with two rows of ruffles underneath, inspired by The Donna Reed Show.