Second Dress Design for Shabby Apple Dresses:
“Juliette”
My inspiration was another J. Crew dress (“Cotton Cady Alexa Dress”), but with feminine details added, including a high sweetheart neckline, scalloped cap sleeves, and a scalloped hemline.
I imagine this would be a soft cotton/polyester blend dress; colors would include camel, deep turquoise, cream, and soft fuchsia.

Third Dress Design for Shabby Apple Dresses:
“Emerald Isle”
My inspiration was a dress by Jones NY (“Summer Mist Pointelle Belted Dress”). I added a ruffled Johnny-type collar and cap sleeves.
This dress would be made of crisp cotton and the belt a shiny, faux paten leather. The color would be a light emerald color.

Fourth Dress Design for Shabby Apple Dresses:
“Tea Rose”
I drew my inspiration for this dress from Eowyn’s drop-waisted white dress in the Lord of the Rings. It also has some flapper influence, too- it’s got flutter sleeves, a fluttered skirt, and ruching at the sides. The roses are silk, almost flat roses and they go full circle around the ballet neckline, but only grace the FRONT of the dress at the waist.
This dress would be a georgette fabric (polyester)- flowing and light. I envision it in a rosey pink.

Fifth Dress Design for Shabby Apple Dresses:
“Garden Party”
My inspiration was to design a dress for a beautiful lady to wear to an outdoor party- the watercolor rose print goes fully around the full skirt and the slight “v” neckline has a layered look. The belt is a simple ribbon-type belt.
I imagine this dress in a linen/cotton blend, and VERY slightly off-white.

Sixth Dress Design for Shabby Apple Dresses:
“Gladiator”
My inspiration for this dress was a JC Penney dress- the “Cutaway Chiffon Dress.” I added shawl-type sleeves that gather at the neck to give it an almost militaristic look.
This dress would be a chiffon fabric (polyester) in misty green or light robin’s egg blue.

Decent dresses these days are hard to come by.  So a few days ago, I thought about trying my hand at designing some modest dresses of my own- sketching them out, at least- because I’m not a seamstress.  So I did sketch a few, and then one night, as I was looking for some inspiration, I saw the Dare to Design Contest at www.shabbyapple.com, a dress company known for designing modest, fashionable dresses.  So there you have it!  I’m going to submit my designs to the contest, and they will be posted here, on this new blog.

But on to the whole nightgowns thought:  I’m usually a t-shirt and boxer type girl when it comes to pajamas.  But after looking at some beautiful wedding pics of a friend’s the other day, and witnessing another wedding in a garden (or should I say snooping around a wedding in a garden- we weren’t invited because we didn’t know the people), I began wishing I could get married to my husband all over again.  The day I married my dear husband was the happiest day of my life so far (although the day our son was born was the most miraculous day so far) and I wish I could live our wedding over and over again.  I felt the prettiest I’d ever felt as a bride, as most women do, I’m told.  Which brings me to nightgowns.

In the old glorious black and white films, the women were always seen in beautifully feminine attire, even when brushing their teeth, putting on the coffee or frying eggs- their nightgowns and bathrobes were flawlessly feminine, lacy, and pretty.  And why not? 

An elegant nightgown can make a woman feel pretty- can harken back to the prettyness she felt as a bride, bedecked with lace and beadery.  And so a nightgown can not only bring her back to what she once was, but to what she STILL is, and will always be in God’s eyes… a bride.

God has called us all to His heavenly wedding feast- the wedding feast of the Lamb, where the Church, His Bride, will be united to Him forever.  We are all His Bride, and He is in love with us.  The joy a bride and groom feel on their wedding day is a foreshadowing of the joy we will all feel on that last day.

Sleep is a foreshadowing of death- we close our eyes and enter into a still, quiet state.  What better way to enter sleep than in a beautiful, bride-like dress, reminding us of who we are as Christian women?  The t-shirt and boxers may have to go someday.