It Was Wonderful!

I know you must be wondering: Did she finish the dress? Did it fit? Was it wonderful? Did the beads fall off?

Well, Yes, yes, yes and no.

I didn't get the zipper in until the day before, but it did get in and it fit well. I didn't see her tugging it up all the time like I've seen some brides do.

I liked seeing people examining the bodice in search of dinosaurs.

The silk gave the dress a nice movement when the bride walk, a nice bouncy flow. I received so many compliments on it--and the bride.

So, here's a few not so great photos. I'll post more as they become available, and hopefully a few videos, too. After I get back home.

The End is Near!

The past week was crazy with all this. Most days I went to bed after 11 and woke up around 3:30 or 4 and got right to work. No sense laying in bed doing nothing when the project was consuming my thoughts! Then I spent hours at a time on it.

My work space is a mess. Threads and scraps everywhere. The termites must like the creative environment becasue they came back. Had the place retreated last Monday, but the rain we had reactivated them. After all the is over, we'll have to move things so they can do a more thorough treatment. Blasted disgusting creatures.

This first pic is the bodice as I'm prepping the lining. It ended up longer than I planned on...not sure what happened, but, it works. It's quite heavy.

 

This is just the lining and the boning. It's simply muslin for it's cottony comfort and absorbancy. I was thinking a silk/cotton blend would be luxurious, but stores don't carry that, and I didn't think far enough in advance to order it online. Oh well.

These are pouffies made of silk and organza to sew on the skirt. I'm just cutting petal shapes or making rosettes out of strips. I'm also using a leftover shiny tulle and a little rainbow lame for accents. They're sewn under the tucks.

Here it is, mostly finished. I spent yesterday wrangling with the tulle to make two underlays. Actually, I took this before I had it finalized, I think. The pouffies go where the blue strips are maybe. I put the strips there when I pinned up the tucks so I wouldn't miss any pins. I'm adding more, moving some around. It's not rocket science. Some of this was, but not this part. It's really more amazing in real life.

So, there will be a wedding dress. Today, I need to finish the tucks and pouffies and attach the bodice to the skirt. I'm also going to start my dress. Tomorrow, I will hand pick the zipper and work hard and hope and pray I get it all done in time for out flight Wednesday morning.

Diving back in!

So Over This--Except I'm Not

A quick update before I return to my exquisite obsession.

I wake up in the middle of the night and sew on more beads because that's all I think about. Then I move on to thinking about the skirt. We leave in less than 2 weeks-hopefully. If hubby can get his vacation time straightened out.

Augh! I grocery shopped the other day for frozen pizza and Marie Calendar pot pies. No time to cook. When I take a few moments to work on my novel, I can't think...

Most projects come to this. It reminds me of my college days at the University of Maine at Farmington's theater. In the final week before a production went up, it seemed like it wouldn't fall together. Actors still didn't know their lines and forgot their blocking. Scenery and costumes weren't done, barely any tickets sold...how could it all possibly come together?

Yet, every time, it did. Some better than others, but the show always went on. And it was always a relief and a let down when it was over.

Enough waxing sentimental. Progress.

The skirt after I finalized the shape of the hem. Don't worry, it gets better.

The bodice and skirt pinned to the form. The blue strips of paper mark the pins where I think the puffy petals will go. 

The 97% beaded front. If I can figure out how to hang it in front of a light source, the pattern will show up. Maybe next time.

 Pinned together on the form. Without the tulle. Oh, you can see the new termite tunnel behind the wooden artist mannequin. Yup. Sigh.

I really like doing this. I don't like the time pressure, but...sometimes life is like that. Could be worse. I know that for sure!

I've been watching mostly TV shows, or working in silence plotting my novel. I rewatched seasons 1, 4 and the first 8 episodes of 5 of Breaking Bad. I've started Drop Dead Diva, Damages, and have seen quite a bit of Kitchen Nightmares which inspired me to finally clean my refrigerator on one of those nights when I woke up at 3:30.

Back to beading! Thanks for reading!

Crunch Time!

I knew it would come to this. Despite MONTHS of diligent designing and beading, the last weeks before the wedding are here. I wish I was further along. I have about 3 weeks until I want this finished and shipped.

 But the past months were tough. Sometimes my mind was to numb to decide where to stitch the next bead. Sometimes sewing tiny pieces of glass onto delicate fabric was a familiar comfort.

Weddings are always a bright point in life, but the trials of 2013 so far will make this wedding even more so. Good grief, I'm glad we have this to look forward to.

So, for this post, the pics are going to extend to the side so you can see more detail. My photographic skills aren't very good, but...

I basted the bodice pieces together to see if it would still fit because the stiching puckers it a little. It's pretty good, but I plan to make the seam allowances a little smaller to give some ease and room for the boning.

Still a bunch to do...

I also started the skirt. Here's a piece laid out on the silk. I added some for a hem. I took the skirt from the muslin, took it apart and used those pieces. I think the piece pictured is the side back for the under skirt. I found a very light mesh to sew onto it for stability but it still maintains the flow and lightness of the silk.

Here's a piece for the outer skirt that has to be tucked up all over the place so it needs to be longer. It will also be wider in spots so I hope that's not a problem. I took half the skirt pieces from the muslin and split them horizontally  two times and pinned them with eight inches between them, making each piece 16" longer than the original. I'm hoping that's not going to be too much for the short front. I'm sure experienced pattern makers or someone with better math skills would have done this differently.

I have both skirts sewn together. Next is to press the seams flat and sew them together at the bottoms, which could be tricky. I'll work on it today until my little sewing corner gets too warm and I get too cranky. Then I;ll move to a cooler place and write. Oops! I mean, bead.

Remaining to do:
1. the tulle underneath (sounds like a horror movie title)
2. the tucks and puckers
3. the lining and boning
4. sewing petals on the tuck and puckers
5. figuring out how to ship it
6. my dress
7. the father's attire

Well, I'm off to it!

Invitations!

These are so freaking adorable! A friend of the groom's designed them, and another friend printed them,

They made the little origami dinos!

Note the attendance menu choices! (I used my prodigious photo editing skills to blur their address.

The paisley-dino theme looks kind of familiar to me by now.

I wasn't able to attend the bridal shower, so I took a break from beading to make a table runner. There's 4 panels in all. I enlarged dino silhouettes I found online and did a reverse applique kind of thing.

 

The bride is at the point where she is weary of all the planning and just wants to get on with normal life.

4.5 weeks, sweetie.

Still At It!--Quick Update.

The skirt came back with no modifications needed! So, now I have a pattern.

And about 6 weeks to complete everything.

It's been a trying spring/summer this year. Serious health concerns. Termites. Heartbreaking developments in a family close to ours. Praying. Coping.

Beading.

I've started the front piece, the last.

 

Shown are the back, side back and side front as they will be put together. They will need some finishing  work when everything is sewn together.

Add caption

I'm a little concerned the puckering caused by stitching without a hoop will make things a titch too small. I'm spending about 4 hours a day at this right now, until I can't see straight and the needle and beads no longer want to cooperate.

I have a design for my mother of the bride dress. Fabric is next. Also, must find shoes.

Skirt Update

For all the griping we like to do about the USPS, can you beat taking a package to the post office Friday afternoon and having it get from Phoenix to it's final destination Philadelphia on Monday. For under $4.00. Try doing that yourself.

Not watch, the next time I do this, like when Sarah sends it back, it will be lost. And I'll be screwed.

Anyway, she loves it! The size and shape are perfect, the length might be, too.

I wasn't sure she'd want me posting the whole picture, so I cropped for the skirt. We're both excited and although there are still plenty of things I've never done to do for the first time on this, I feel like I have the hardest out of the way.

The Skirt.

Have to admit, this one had me baffled for a bit. I had to cogitate on it for weeks before I had the pieces together enough in my head to take a stab at it.

When Sarah was here in April, I made a skirt, but it wasn't full enough. I just added a little flare to the pattern pieces. I knew I would need more. High/low patterns weren't available in January when we chose the pattern, but the ones I've seen since then still don't have the look I want. So, it was up to me.

As usual, I took to the interweb for immediate images to think on. Most sewing advice for available high/low hemlines simply takes a ready made skirt and cuts off a shaped piece. I would do that as a lost resort. I knew there had to be a more professional way.

This actually showed up on my facebook ads. Scroll down for the cutting diagram. It what helped me decide how to layout and not have to do so much trial and error for the shape I wanted. I think it creates a more natural shape, more organic, less engineered which is what I wanted. Although it uses only measurements and not a paper pattern, it clicked with me.

Here's my cutting diagram.

I cut halfway between the pieces for seams because I figured it would be too full and need places to take it in.

Here it is, full and long.

  I tapered the flare by taking in the seams each by no more than 2 inches from the seam allowance.

Then, I had to cut the shape. It took me another few days to think. AKA procrastinate. I pinned a shape one day, looked at several times over the course of a few more, made a few adjustments, then took it off the form and spread it out. I'm aiming for the fullness of the high/low white dress and the hem shape of the black dress which is less full.

In these pics, it's laid on the table in the opposite of the cutting diagram. 

Then, I used my French curve that I rarely have used. I bought it maybe 10 years ago when I was taking some tailoring classes in Lancaster when we lived there. I used it to connect the pins I had placed to make the shape and allowed me to draw smooth lines and made me believe I know what I'm doing.

 

Here's everything all put together. I threw in a zipper even though it's not long enough. I think I'll have to hand pick a zipper when it comes to the real thing because of the beads.She wants a short train. I used her measurements I took in January as for lengths. Hoping if they're off, they're long because she and her maid of honor, who is making her own dress, can mark where they want the high and low to be.

 I packaged it up and sent to the bride, and it should get there Monday, 6/3.

For some reason, blogger won't allow me to left justify anymore.

I have pretty much completed the beading for the back bodice pieces until they are sewn together and I have to fill in the spaces. I have the dino shapes for the front side pieces set and have to select the paisley patterns to fill them in. I guess in the meantime I can transfer the shapes and bead the outlines. 

My goal is to have this have this completed by August 15 to ship it.

I think I have some beading to do!

Thanks for reading!

Save the Date!

This arrived in the mail last week.

I can't get over how adorable it is. And I don't use the term "adorable" very often. It was designed and printed by the groom, Doug LaRocca, a very talented designer of party product packaging by day and printmaker by night. Here's his website. I love his whimsical style and use of color. He sells his prints at galleries in L.A., New York and Chicago. And on his website.

Both Sarah and Doug are dinosaur nuts. Sarah's dino name is TriSarahtops. Doug came up with DiploDouglas at her insistence if he wanted to keep on seeing her. I think that's how the story went.

And I'm beading along. Finished the first of the side backs and ready to start the second.

 

The cuteness is almost unbearable! But, I'm a mom, so I can handle it!

4 Months and Counting

 I am making progress! I recently finished beading the two back backs. Here they are in their sparkling glory.                                                                                                                                              

The bodice has seven pieces,
1 front
2 side fronts
2 side backs
2 backs.
So, these are 2 of seven. And the smallest, I might note.

Here's one where you can see the detail. It's the second, and I feel the quality is much better than the first.

The blank space will be completed when I connect this with the side back. It's a dino's long neck.

This next photo is the first side back.

I used a product called Mark-B-Gone to trace the basic shape. It's works like sewing tracing paper. I put it between the pattern and the fabric and trace the pattern using pressure so the marks transfer. Then the marks disappear over time. It says within 72 hours, but sometimes it takes longer. No problem. As long as they go away. I also have a marker I use for detail shapes.

I've been using nylon thread to sew the beads on. It's like very fine fishing line and took many frustrating days learning to use it. I like that it's invisible on the front (also a point of difficulty in use) and that it's strong and doesn't fray in the needle. It does tend to slip out of the needle...but I manage.

So, just four months. I better get beading!

Back to Business

We suffered a death in the family recently--my mom. She taught me to sew and taught me to cuss while sewing. The second was not intentional. She made me stay with it when I got so frustrated I wanted to give up. Over time, my interest and skills surpassed hers. She started back when it was more economical to sew for kids than to buy ready made. Her machine was a Kenmore and they never quite got along. For my 16th birthday, I received a portable Singer. Portable if you can lift 50 pounds. It had a metal body. I took it to college and made costumes for plays with it. My daughter used my Singer until a few years ago. She sews, too.

Before everything, I decided to sew the silk to muslin, serge the edges and machine baste the two layers.

 This is progress one back panel, the smallest. It's about 80% complete, needing a border at the top and fill-in around the design. It's based on a design I can't post because I borrowed it from somewhere on the interweb.

The bride is impressed! 






Sarah was here for a few days. She'd booked a flight hoping to see Mom one last time. But it was not to be so she visited with us and some of her aunts and uncles and cousins. She slept late and read and watched movies and cooked Paleo food for us which helped me clean up my eating. Our big event was going to In N Out Burger then to the movies to see Admission.

I whipped up a skirt and need to do another. Need to make it more flared and redo the cut of the hem. This is Monique Lhullier, as is the white up and down hem dress I posted earlier.

Today she told me the shop on Fabric Row in South Philly where she bought the silk burned down. Hope we don't need more, but we will need to make the flowers and petals and will also need silk organza for that. Hope some one else on the row sells it. The really sad thing is a fire fighter died in the fire. I imagine a fabric store would go up fast with all the chemicals the material is treated with.

Sad News, Good News and My Movie List

I've made some progress on the dress, just no pics yet. My mother's health declined the past few weeks, making me more scatterbrained that usual. We lost her yesterday, Good Friday. She went peacefully for which we are grateful. I suppose the next few weeks will hard, but we've seen this coming for months so we're glad she's with the Lord now and out of her troubled physical body.

Anyway, I watch movies on my laptop while I sew. I've included a list on the side of what I've watched so far in this process, including my rating. * = a star. I watched one (Descent) that was pretty awful--over done sexually violent scenes, and I decided after that I need to keep the content mostly upbeat and good quality to keep good energy going into The Dress.

Trouble is I can't watch foreign movies while working-can't sew AND look at subtitles!

I'll try to get my most recent progress posted soon.

But great news! The bride herself will be here for 4 days starting on Friday. I wanted to have the mock up fo the skirt ready, but that won't be happening, unless I pull an all-nighter, which is unlikely...

Feel free to recommend movies of great content and quality in the comments.

Blasted Bodice 3/17/13

 The bodice came back. The one without the boning and bra cups fit much better than the one with, so that's the one I'm using for the pattern.

 Sarah and Courtney marked the sweetheart shape. Obviously, Sarah wants a deep one.

 They also, per my request, marked the  side and back lines. The dotted line on the bottom is wear the beads will stop. There will be a ribbon between the beads and the skirt.

I took it apart...

And made a new pattern, including the new lines. Now, much to my chagrin and frustration, I'm having a hard time getting it to fit right again with the new pieces. They ended up too big. And they have to be just right, because I will be cutting the silk for the beading and it's backing with that.

 (There was a huge disruption in my family's force today. Actually the entire week was hard that way. And sometimes that makes it hard to focus on the needful, doesn't it?)


Don't tell Sarah this, but I'm still working on the bead design. However, visions of paisley are dancing in my head and on my desktop. Pastor Ron's shirt gave me some inspiration this morning.

Goal: Get the pattern finalized, the silk and backing cut and basted together by 3/19. Start beading by 1/21.
Next week: make the muslin skirt.

The Bodice Mock-up and Beading Sample 3/3/13

On Friday, I sent out the mock-up of the bodice and a sample of a beaded dinosaur. Sarah should get the package tomorrow.

 

The back, obviously. You may not be able to see the suggest line for the lower back she wants. She and her maid of honor, Courtney a fellow sewist, can figure it out.

  

The side.front. I suggested the shape of the sweetheart neck line, once again, they can suggest another one if they wish.

 

The bodice with bra cups attached. Definitely increase the bust size,  but the mock up fit it pretty well.

 

The boning attached. We got plenty of it from sewtrue.com along with the bra cups, some marling materials and a bridal gown bag. Thank God for online shopping. I could run all over Phoenix and still not find what we got here.

 

This took about 5 movies to do. It's a sampler to show Sarah the beads, sequins and crystals we have now and practice for me. It's not complete, but I wanted to get the bodice off to her. Can you see the dinosaur outline and some surrounding design?

My next step is to design and plan the bead work. It might be the most challenging part of the process for me. Then, I think I'll work on the beading by bodice piece, leaving areas along the seam lines free. I'm afraid if I did it as a whole, it would become soiled.

I have to get my butt in gear!