Day 17: Make it Work

I've been watching a little Project Runway lately, so when Mrs. Marple gave a chat today about embracing flexibility, I couldn't help but think of the show. After all, those designers would never get anything down the runway if they stumbled over every little detail like perfectionists.


Or at least that is what I like to think as I'm trying to assemble my own fashion creation.

The last time you saw this dress, it had 3/4 sleeves and a scarf around the neck.


Well...as you can see, it's evolved. I wish I could say this evolution was intentional, but mainly I'm channeling Tim Gunn by "making it work."


Because the truth is that those 3/4 sleeves were so tight that I couldn't raise my arms above my shoulders. So I had a choice to make: either re-do the sleeves into something shorter, or pray that I don't have to do the YMCA at the wedding I'm attending in this dress.


I opted for the seam ripper, and yanked the sleeves out.


As for the neckline, obviously it has gone all ruffly (is "ruffly" a word?). Partly this is because I really am obsessed with ruffles this Fall. And also because the dress was gaping in the front.

And when I mean gaping, I mean that I couldn't wear it in polite company without some modifications. Like, say, a 4 inch neckline to hide my bust. I don't want to have some kind of "wardrobe malfunction," if you know what I mean...


The moral of the story with this dress-in-process is that Mr. Gunn is right--sometimes you just have to make it work. In order to be resourceful (aka not wasteful), creative problem solving is often required.

Of course Mrs. Marple is also right--perfectionism won't get me nearly as far as flexibility. So my bodice was vulgar and my sleeves effectively turned my dress into a straight jacket. Rather than give up and head out to the closest boutique (J. Crew is calling my name...), I'm hoping to make the most of my construction errors, and let my sewing shortcomings stretch my creative muscle.

In the end, I still might have to keep my eye open for a Plan B back-up dress, but maybe I really will be able to Make it Work!

Previous Days at the Institute:
Day 15: Redux
Day 14: Alterations
Day 13: Rest