Dear Reader (Poll Results)

Dearest Reader,
Today's post has the bad news before the good. Isn't that always the way? I'm a little deflated by this month's poll results. I made the poll open to multiple votes this month, posted it on facebook- and got a total of 6 votes.
1 for Dear Tramdrivarr
2 for Dear Beautiful Read-Headed Girls
1 for Dear Sally
2 for Dear Jorge
I said last month that if I didn't get more than 20 votes I would make whatever dress I felt like- which I'm glad i said, because Dear QE II would have cost an arm and a leg (silk!?!), and taken me all month to make... (When did I think I could do corsetry?) I made Dear Melbourne Dandy- it's given me a little trouble in the fitting, it was made on schedule, but it was a funny shape, so once it looks shmexy (or passable...) I'll post it. I'll probably make Dear Jorge this month, but it depends on fabric costs etc. Between moleskines and material this is becoming an expensive experiment!

For all that voted last month- I couldn't be more greatful. Every vote surprised me, you didn't go where I expected- and I liked it!


What I'm trying to say is, please, make this exciting, make this something I can't control. If you're reading this I imagine you're into design and/or sewing, and you might know others who are into such things- I would really appreciate if you encouraged a couple of your friends to go through the links in the last post, have a look at the dresses in the running this month, and have a vote- remember you can vote for as many dresses as you like, the more the merrier!

I'm finding it really hard right now to post every night, since i'm out of the house 7am-7pm every day, but I promise i'll do better than i've been doing.

I really appreciate your reading this- taking the time to check in every so often, knowing my little collection of scribblings is out there interesting anyone is a great feeling. The reasons I made this public was in the hope that someone would find it interesting, that I would feel responsibility to those reading, and maintain this thing- I've never done a 365, and it's just as hard as I thought it would be. Knowing you're out there reading/seeing/commenting/liking/hating/being curious is the only reason I can keep this up every day.

If you're alright with it, I'd love to see what the people who read my blog do- I know the lovely Tammie takes the most incredible photographs, and Jess is an insanely talented woman of many mediums, Jorge (the patient boyfriend) is cleverly interesting on a bizzare variety of topics, if you're out there, reading silently as I have so often done, please let me know who you are- enjoy a virtual scone and perhaps some tea to escape the Melbourne chill.
Be safe, warm, happy and healthy,
all my love,
Ip.

Dear Reader (This month's dresses!)

Dearest Reader,
The dresses up for voting this month are
Dear Half Way Mark (Dress 102) Knife and Fork
Dear Half Way Mark (Dress 105) Patches of Text
Dear Half Way Mark (Dress 106) Orange Peeled
Dear Half Way Mark (Dress 107) Spats Dress
Dear Half Way Mark (Dress 108) Quoted Cleavage
Dear Ilana (Dress 114) Strawberries and Cream
Dear Antoine (Dress 116) Le Petit Prince
Dear Koko Black (Dress 117) Nom Nom Nom
Dear Safta Haya (Dress 118) Copper and Midnight
Dear Metro (Dress 119) Tracks and Tunnel
Dear City Hatters (Dress 121) Top Hat and Macaw
Dear Darryl (Dress 122) Pallette
Dear Tom n' Jess (Dress 123) Vase/Face
Dear Alice (Dress 124) Carrots
Dear Dad (Dress 127) Space Invaders Arr.
Dear 1980's (Dress 129) Mirror Image Collar
Dear 365ers (Dress 131) Ruled Margins
Dear Collectors Everywhere (Dress 133) Film Trimmings
Dear Renault (Dress 134) Grille'd
Dear Scrabble (Dress 136) Seven Buhbillion Letter Score
Dear Dianna Wynne-Jones (Dress 137) Backless with Torq
Dear Pentel (Dress 138) Graphite 1920s

Vote well! Vote often! Vote wisely!
And please invite your friends to participate, the more votes the merrier!
All my love,
IP

Dearest Eve (Dress 143)

Dearest Eve Yamouni,

You're inexpressibly amazing. Talented Artist, Lawyer, Cook and Playwright. You're part of the tight-knit community of artists who were in and out of my childhood home(s). Every time we moved, you moved with us- apparently you were doing a lot of moving around yourself, I can't remember the other houses- only the one in South Yarra, the apartment with the balcony view above the Botanical Gardens and the abundance of ferns and indoor plants. I remember hours spent drawing in oil pastels (the kind whose quality assured you should never let a child near them) whilst drinking lemonade and listening to Vivaldi. Everything about you is class and sophistication. Today's dress is a combination painted/preforated number in black and white. Complex structurally, but aesthetically simple and straightforward.

All my love,
IP

Dear Rambo (Dress 142)

Dear Rambo,

So I fell asleep ten minutes in; so I'm not really the authority on your, shall we say, art. However- I do know that at some point in the early part of the film (Rambo 3, I think.) you use a bow and arrow to catch fish.

Bad. Ass.

voila!
black satin ribbons on white muslin, with feather embellishments.

All my love,

IP