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The Gown of My Nightmares!
One of the things I love about what it is I get to do every day, is that no dress is ever the same. There is always more to learn! And while I usually am quite ready and willing to learn new techniques or methods in my craft, this dress became a bit of a challenge (to say the least)! This client came to me with a photo of a super model wearing a lovely slinky silver dress with an organza ruffle effect at the neck.The dress had a VERY low back, and was basically molded to her curves. My client was in love with the dress – with a few...
read moreMy ‘Ah- Ha’ Moment
It happened while I was doing a fitting for a special client. She is a lovely young lady, about 17 years old. She is a sweet girl that happens to have Downs Syndrome. I am making her a Jr Bridesmaid dress. She came by with her mother for a fitting with the muslin I had made of her dress. Not much to look at at this point; just a few scraps of fabric quickly stitched together. After I finished with the pinching and pinning, I had her turn toward the mirror so she could see how she looked. As she got her first glimpse in the mirror, her...
read moreThis Weeks Challenge – A Lettuce Hem Prom Dress
Fear can be a paralysing thing. We all have things we fear, or are atleast a little anxious about. Something that we lay awake at night worrying over and analysing. For me, this week, it was a prom dress; with a unique hem. The dress had been waiting for me in the sewing studio; almost as though it was teasing or baiting me to come work on it. Each day for over a week, I would walk by it, hanging in it’s place on the rack, and I could swear it was mocking me. The unique hem on this dress is called a ‘lettuce leaf hem’,...
read moreA Going Away Dress – Part II
Remember the last post about the Vintage Gown I am re-fashioning int o a Going Away Dress? Well today I want to show you the progress I have made. This is what I started with – First I removed the buttons, the zipper, the lace ruffle at the bodice, and the sleeves and bodice overlay – Next, off came all of these lovely paisley lace motiffs – After removing all the lace and embellishments, it was time to seperate the bodice from the skirt and over skirt – ...
read moreA Going Away Dress
Just how many of these 1980’s high necked, big sleeved lace wedding gowns are still out there? Well, your guess is as good as mine, but all I know is they keep ending up in my sewing room and on my chopping block! This one is going to be a little different, in that it is going to become the brides ‘Going Away’ dress. The one part of the dress that she really loves is the paisley shaped lace appliques scattered on the skirt and the bodice. So, the plan is to remove the high lace neck, remove the sleeves, carefully remove all...
read moreA Peacock Prom!
This was a smart girl; she thought ahead for her prom dress. She came to me way back in November with her dress ideas. That gave us plenty of time to fabric shop, make a muslin and get it completed for her without feeling rushed! Her original design was a little different than the finished product, if only because we had to change one little thing. She had invisioned the skirt of her dress covered in real peacock feathers. Gorgeous, right? Gorgeous price, too! Even buying in bulk, the feathers would have been more than she had anticipated....
read moreThe Rhthym of Beading
Growing up I was never musical and I was never coordinated enough to follow specific dance steps. Jazzercize? Bombed out pretty quickly. Even a step class was a diseaster. Just never had any rhthym. But I have found my groove in a sewing technique – beading. There is a certain rhthym to the art of beading. Pushing the needle through the fabric, catching the bead, and pushing the needle through the fabric again. When you find your rhthym, it can be a very calming act. Today I spent several hours in this calm place, rebeading a dress...
read moreSatin & Lace; 1980’s to 2014
Ah yes . . . yet another Vintage make-over! As many of these as I have done, it still amazes me how simply constructed dresses were back then! No lining, no seam finishing, bare bones construction at best. I do wish I had a picture to share of the original dress; however, by the time it was brought to me, it had already been partially taken apart! The brides grandmother had thought she would re-make it for her, but after removing the sleeves and opening the back, decided that it was work better done by a professional! I can tell you this:...
read moreIn Remembrance of Jane . . . .
Every year during the first part of December, my second family congregates in Las Vegas for a working vacation, i.e. conference. It is the annual ICAS Convention (Interenational Council of Airshows), where performers, promoters and lovers of airshows all go to plan for next year and remember and critic the last. One of the most somber parts of our time in Vegas is always remembering those that left us far too early. Of course, this year we will be remembering our friend Jane Wicker, who was killed this summer while doing what she loved best...
read moreA Lovely New Lace Bolero
The fall wedding season has been busy! Things are finally settling down to give me time to catch up on sewing for myself, as well as taking care of my home again (you don’t want to know when the last time I dusted was!). Last week was a busy week for me. I finished up 2 adorable Flower girl dresses (that will appear in another blog!), and I made 2 sweet jackets. The first one is for a bride who brought me her goreous lace dress that she had purchased at a consignment store. It had already had previous alterations done to it, and whoever...
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