A DIY knockoff of a dress I can't afford

Etsy is a wonderful place, full of awesome designers whose work I just drool over. One such recent designer is Stephanie Bezaire. I am in absolute love with this summery confection:



And I will own it one day. But until that day, I hacked together a similar dress from a sales post (over at fatshionista.livejournal.com, every friday is sales post day and I've picked up some marvelous stuff there).

Total cost of this dress: $5

It came to me nearly ankle length, with in-seam pockets and fraying smocking at the top. It was also about 6 inches too big in the chest and waist. It is made of the softest old rayon blend that feels like cashmere, literally, I've never felt anything like it (that's what she said!). Anyways, here is my effort:



Closeup of bow:


From farther away:


Cardiganized:


I used the extra fabric from shortening the hem to make the bow. The bow is attached with safety pins so I can use it to accessorize other outfits.

All in all, I'm super pleased with it.

Emboldened by my success with this project, I decided to try to make a sundress from a vintage bed sheet this past weekend. It didn't go so well. More on that later.