As Wendy Pepper's story continues, she has barely made the cut on two segments of "Project Runway," Bravo Network's weekly television competition to choose the best new designer in America.

In order to win, Wendy will have be creative, a fine craftsman, a savvy business person, impervious to criticism, wildly enthusiastic about her viscous colleagues, addicted to mood swings that would Timothy Leary queasy and, oh yes, a brilliant fashion designer.

Heidi Klum hosts the series in delightful audio and video style. She continues to be terrific to look at, and she's learning to push her "take no prisoners" approach to the max. "Fashion is a bitch," she intones. "It's a ruthless business. One minute you're in, the next minute, you're out."

Each week, when one designer hears, "…you're out," the sigh that emanates from the designer who is next to last on the runway almost topples the television.

That's where Wendy has found herself in the first two segments of the series. In the first segment, she was in the final six. This past week, she was one of the final two. Pretty scary for the Middleburg designer who believes this is the "chance of a lifetime."

Grocery Store Gowns

Every week the designers are given an assignment. Week one's assignment was Innovation or: create a cocktail dress from, your choice of materials in Gristede's a Manhattan grocery store that has better than the basics, but is no match for Wegmans and certainly couldn't play in the Sutton Place/Delucca's league.

"For the first time, I felt fear," Wendy said.

She chose multitudes of colorful candy to thread into a fabulous evening top that perfectly complimented her beautiful Brazilian model. The only problem was, she didn't have time to make much of a bottom for her outfit. It would have been fabulous as beachwear, but, sadly, it was a little skimpy for cocktails.

Each week, each garment is judged by three fashion VIPs.

Nina Garcia, fashion director for Elle Magazine asked, "Wendy, I see very few clothes on your model."

"My model is from Brazil," Wendy countered. "I was working on a Carnival theme."

"I get it," Garcia said. Although, she seemed to think Wendy's creation would be a little over the top even in the meat district of Lower Manhattan, and wouldn't be appearing anytime soon on the cover as a replacement for the little black dress.

Field was tough on Wendy week one, and came back full steam ahead to challenge her during the critique section of the show in its second week. Something may be brewing here that could explode as we move forward.

Hot designer Michael Kors, and Patricia Field, fashion director for 'Sex in the City' also judged the first week. They loved the bright blue cocktail dress made of the plastic back and seat from a 1950s lawn chair one contestant had found on the shelf over a frozen food bin.

Pierre Cardin would have admired this outfit. It was a little Star Wars and sexy a lot. Did it win?

No. The winning outfit was Austin Scarlett's amazing corn husk dress which could have only been improved with a little better refrigeration before the show. If Austin is not channeling Yves St. Laurent, Middleburg is not known for equine pursuits. But the shock and thrill of the win transported the terrified young couturier into "…one of the most wonderful moments of my life."

Another wonderful moment for Austin was week two's show. Because he won week one, he could not lose during week two.

Envy At Work

"Design an outfit that expresses envy," said Klum as she outlined the assignment for week two. Working with a finite amount of white cotton jersey, the eleven designers were to divide the fabric among themselves, and shop for trim, dye and decoration at a fabulous fashion district passementerie shop.

"I struggle with envy," said one contestant. "Wendy told me she envied me."

"I have to change my strategy," said Wendy. "No more nice and maternal, trying to get them to confide in me."

Aside from the case of the "missing dye," which cost two contestants a lot of time to resolve, and, toward the conclusion of the search, made one wonder if, perhaps, Ms. Pepper might have been involved, the crises in week two were relegated to bloody hands and fingers and a few lessons in marketing.

Typically, contestants have from the moment they finish shopping for materials until midnight and then two hours on the day of the "show" to complete their creations.

In week two's segment, they were interrupted before they had completely finished, asked to pick up their designs and jump in a bus to be taken to an auction of their designs. The designer whose creation attracted the highest bid would be "free" during the third week, in other words, no matter how dismal that designer's creation on week three, the designer would not be asked to leave the show.

Wendy's beautiful long gown with a snake sliding down the bare, evocative back did not win.

"I was looking for the exit," Wendy said. "I was experiencing a lot of envy."

The winning outfit illustrated envy by focusing on a military theme, sort of a combination of "don't hate me because I'm beautiful," but, if you do, let's get our troops and tanks and settle it once and for all. The tight, olive drab dress had a bodice cut to the navel. Just the thing to brighten the days of the cadets at West Point.

Once again, Nina Garcia, fashion director of Elle Magazine, judged Wendy's dress harshly. "Why is it unfinished, Wendy? The hemline is totally unfinished."

Wendy's attempt to reply was muffled and unconvincing.

"You're talking a good game," another judge said, "but the dress doesn't deliver."

"I don't like my weaknesses to be on display," Wendy sighed.

"When I decided to rush to Miami for the Final Call for Project Runway, I was so excited I'd made the cut to go to New York for interviews that I really felt I had made an enormous achievement."

"After killing myself to get a video together in 24 hours, waiting three weeks to hear 'we want you for the cast,' and realizing that I would be one of only twelve designers in the country honored in this way, it's crushing to come so close to being asked to leave."

For Wendy, fashion is the eternal desire, the yearning for life to be different.

That, for her, is the fuel of the fashion industry. The fuel she would like to ignite in Middleburg with her great grandmother, Edith Eustis, as inspiration.

"I want to become a force, to drive the bus. By 2018, I want to be a brand of influence based in this beautiful part of the country. I want the Wendy Pepper brand to spark all kinds of businesses, so we make a significant contribution to the local economy, and illustrate to the world that style and civility reside in my home town."

Stay tuned to Bravo's Project Runway to see how close Wendy comes to bringing the prize back home.