VIVIENNE COLLE'S MAKE-IT-YOURSELF BOUTIQUE

Here we are, in our clear plastic tents, whapping together decorative typewriter covers for our new office (house plug-reminder; 60 West 13th St.), instead of committing ourselves to paper on this one. Well, Vivienne Colle, in case you don't know, sells little shifts and little longer shifts ($300 for the former, $1500 for the latter--they're evening dresses) to Liz Taylor and Jackie and others. ""You will discover a blouse that becomes a dress"" (we already have and sometimes we can't tell the difference) and you are to be flexible, develop a free eye, and find some of the new styles that suit you. She uses fantastic fabrics in her boutique (even spray paint) but she's also a magpie and doesn't throw anything out--it can be used for transformations (you can look great in an old bathtowel). She also doesn't believe in patterns--poor Mr. Butterick--or basting, and she gives some rather freeform diagrams along with her directions for fifteen basic styles, the A-Line Popover, the Jiffy skirt. Frankly we couldn't even visualize the sandwich-sign dress from that sketchy squiggle of hers. but we didn't think we'd look good enough to eat in it. Then you can do all kinds of other things, make hats, the kookiest coverall in town for your man, tweed earrings, a whimsical piggy bank (this is for your make-it-yourself profits). Anyway she tells you you can with infinite inspiration and joie-de-vivre. If this doesn't bring Madison Avenue, or 8th Street, to Main and Sycamore, nothing will.