a handmade swiss dot romper!

Photos by Neil!

Pink Swiss Dot Romper - Reconstructed from an old thrift store dress

Black Lace Up Zodiac Boots - Tennessee Antique Mall

Men's Brown Striped Cardigan - Urban Outfitters (Neil's)

Fur Aviator Hat - Again.. stolen from Neil

Hey hey, I made a romper!

The romper is a combination of an article in the latest Ready Made on how to revamp a vintage dress and the lovely Andrea's post last week on a simple way to make a romper. This project was fast and easy and perfect for impatient me.. Cut out the shape, cut a V at the crotch to transform the skirt into shorts, sew sew sew, add elastic at the neckline, make a sash with remaining fabric to tie at the waist. I can't wait to pair the romper with ruffle socks and oxfords in the spring!

Here is the before..

The during..

And the after!

As for future projects.. I received the new Built By Wendy Sew U Guide in the mail last week! I've already talked with a friend of mine about where to begin when sewing a dress from scratch. I also found this old jumper pattern at a thrift store a few days ago that looks super simple. And super 80's.

Thanks to all who related to me on the "what do I do with my life" days, or weeks, or months. :) Life is a funny thing. How do you choose what to spend your time doing? What an overwhelming commitment to spend twenty years at the same job! I'm afraid to put all of my eggs in one basket, so to speak - so afraid, in fact, that my fears might just get in the way of becoming dedicated to a path I should be pursuing. It's so hard to know what to pursue.. but you can't waste time worrying, or else you risk missing out on opportunities that are truly worth your time and energy. And you can't be afraid of failure. If you avoid an opportunity because of that, you've already failed. I really don't want to become a coward. Man alive. Why can't we all be those kids who know exactly what they're going to be when they grow up?

When I was little, I wanted to be a knight or a girl pirate. Those career paths didn't work out for me.

And on a this-is-related-but-I'm-not-sure-how note, as someone who primarily works from home, I set my own goals and tasks and challenges. While this is terribly harder than having an employer or a teacher or a parent set them for you (especially for someone who is still learning the elusive art of productivity), it is infinitely more rewarding when you actually get things done. I recommend it. Let's all start our own businesses! Let's have a small business revolution!

Now, back to getting things done.. and figuring out what those things are, exactly.