My Favorite Housedress

... is falling apart. Funny that I love it so much, because brown is totally not my color. I'm a blues/pinks/greens wearer usually. It was that big bold leafy print that hooked me. That and the fact that it's a size too large, ankle-length, huge and loose and oh, so comfy. I've been wearing this around the house in the morning and/or evening for 9 years now, year 'round, so it's been both worn and washed a lot. Even cold water/gentle cycle/line dry, that's enough trips through the washer to have taken a toll. Plus, I've literally worn it out.

The neck looks funny in the photo because it originally had a button holding a key-hole opening closed. I like that look, but unless I had my hair pinned up my braid kept catching on the button, which was beyond annoying, so I just cut the button off one day, and let the tabs hang there. Even at that point, which was years ago, the dress wasn't worth putting any repair work into. But I've continued to wear it. And now close-ups look like this:

I'm going to try making something like it out of the dark blue fabrics in my quilting stash. I've got at least one nice batik, and some florals, and an abstract or two. Nothing as big and bold as the leaf print in the brown version, but enough variety that I can replicate the general look.

Gotta get some birthday gifts (mom and sis) finished up and in the mail, but once those are done I'm gonna turn my attention to this, because I don't have a backup. My next favorite housedress is in even worse shape: one of the spaghetti shoulder straps shredded in the last wash and is literally hanging by a thread. The fabric has completely disintegrated, and all that's left is the seam stitching. (Tried to take a pic of that, but it didn't come out and my camera battery is just about defunct.) These impending disasters on the wardrobe front were a driving force behind my deciding to start making some clothes, which is what led to this blog in the first place.

Anyway, I'd better stop futzing around with too-pretty-for-around-the-house things like that Amy Butler peony skirt, and make something loose and comfy I can wear the h*ll out of.