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!