As I enter Week 3 of not working (1st week was vacation, but it still counts!), I’m starting to get a bit down. :/ I find myself staying up/sleeping in ridiculously late, and I feel draggy and lethargic all the time. Right now, I’m in a weird limbo state where I don’t know if I have a job or not. All will be decided when the SC Legislators get back into session.
I decided to attempt to cure my drab & dreary mood by fixing a drab & dreary dress! :)
It’s a drab day in South Carolina!
This dress is frumpy and dated as can be, but there were a couple of things to like about it. First off, the light linen-y fabric was comfy as could be — perfect for a hot and humid day! The top of the dress had this lovely detail as well:
Purty! :)
…but then I was reminded of this:
Does anyone else remember the Kathie Lee Sweatshop scandal of ’96? Not cool, Kathie. Not cool. :(
The first thing I needed to take care of was that blah beige!
Say hello to my little friends!
I mixed some Scarlet dye with a bit ‘o Navy. Usually when I use Scarlet, I end up with a Coral hue. Adding some blue will surely prevent this, no? :)
Mixology at work!
After my dress was dyed & dried, I needed to shape it up a bit! I took it in from the sides 3″.
Getting it in shape! :)
A quick stitch session followed.
Whirrrr!
I cut off the extra fabric from the sides, and used one of the scraps to make (what else?) a sash!
Stitch it down, then turn it inside-out and close up the raw end! :)
I’m not done yet! :) I liked the length of this dress, but if it was going to stay, I’d need to get my all-natural air-conditioning elsewhere!
And…CHOP!
I folded that top raw edge under twice, and stitched it down…
Making a casing! :)
This made a casing for me to put a nicely-fitted piece of elastic into!
In ya go!
After a good press, my new dress was ready for a Rally to Save the Arts in South Carolina! :) That’s right, people from all over South Carolina organized at the statehouse to show their support of the of the SC Arts Commission and the SC arts movement!
Ready to Rally! :)
When I first showed up, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would people really brave the rain to support the arts?
Um…yes! :)
I have to admit, I was genuinely touched by all the support! Some of my best buds came out to show the arts some love, too! :)
They just don’t want me to be stuck sofa surfing with them…;)
Lots of Love for The Arts in SC!!! :)
Rain? What rain? :)
I ran into some awesome local artists as well!
It’s Nick Dunn and Natalie Brown! :)
It’s Michael Krajewski (in his own refashed shirt!) :)
Feeling like a Greek Goddess! :)
This rally did my heavy heart a great deal of good. :) I hope to have some good news for you guys in the next couple of days as to the future of The SC Arts Commission, and of course, my place in it. :)