Sexy Sunday: 3 hr dress

Made this on Saturday during the shows. Copied the top of my evening gown pattern and drafted the skirt pattern, cut and sewn during the matinee. It's pretty cute, right? Also, knits are great, no closures!

Nine West shoes
Banana Republic belt
Hand-me-down necklace
Target earrings

Opening Night Dress 2013: The End

I pretty much beaded on my patio every night for the past 2 weeks. I finished the beading at about 4 o'clock day of the party. I then beaded the belt and finished at 8:30, showered, primped and had a wonderful time! I've never felt prettier and had a glorious night of conversation with everyone at USF, and my friend Trent with whom I went. Night to remember for sure! I can't say I've ever been more satisfied with a project. It was admired by all. It's a good thing I thrive on attention!

I think I'll do a daytime photo shoot at some point so you can get a better idea of the train and everything.

Opening Night Dress 2013: Oh, this old thing?

I have been working on it, I promise! I actually just need to hem the sleeves, fill in the beading and figure out the train/belt. Best thing about this dress? No zipper.

We don't yet know when the party's going to be, but we do know I'll be overdressed!

Opening Night Dress 2013: It looks like a dress!

Yay! I took a break while I was at my sister's (good bc I had two barfy kids) and put the dress together last night. Looks pretty good right? Still needs the sleeves, and some parts are basted, but it looks like how it's supposed to! I'm always worried it won't. I'm still worried though...I worry until it's done that somehow during the night something will happen and it'll have a sleeve sewn to the neck or it'll have shrunk or grown 8 inches...

Yes, my face is terrible, and my head looks huge. Sometimes the size of it in relation to my body just makes me feel like Natalie Portman...Alicia reminds me this is not a bad thing. 

The waist does seem a little high, but it'll be worn with a belt so all will be well. I'm worried the weight of the train will be too much for it and I'll end up chopping it off and not having the cowl of the inspiration. Jack and I will have to wait and see! Blur your eyes and the nude material is dead on. I just can't get a tan!

Opening Night Dress 2013: Done with the beading! Need a break...

I'm getting down to the wire. I'll have six weeks in Cedar to finish the dress, but my nights will be filled with having fun with all my friends! I was hoping to have all but the hems and inside done when I left, and that might still be a possibility, but I need a break!

I finished the beading yesterday afternoon after about 4 weeks and 75 hours of work. I figured I could get it cut out last night and I'd take it to my sister's house where I'll be babysitting for the weekend. I got it cut out no problem, but my brain is completely dead. I got the teal and nude pieces sewn to the front and backs, made a few mistakes and just need a break! I'm not taking it to my sister's. I'm also no where near ready to drive back to Utah and since the current plan leaves me with two days to get ready after my sister's I might push back my departure a day.

someday it will look teal in pictures

Future future project...

I'm making myself blog before I work on beading today. It's my day off! Hoo-ray!

AND

Cedar is a month away!!! Ug, I'm so excited.

So, I've got my Opening Night Dress planned, and will hopefully make my Striped Dress for the Crossover Party...but what to wear for the Fall Opening?

Maybe this?

Valentino 1969 from the Victoria and Albert,
source here.

You know I'm on my beading kick, and I love velvet. This is black, I'd love a deep green though. We'll see...it'd take a lot of work and I'm going to be working a lot more hours a week than I usually do at USF. But someday, if not for this fall. 

Opening Night Dress '13: Let the beading begin!

It has begun. Which means I'll be watching a lot of TV and movies for awhile. I watched the last Batman  yesterday (which scared me this summer when I thought of my friends moving to NYC, but now I don't mind...I could hack it) and season one of The Muppet Show with my mom last night (my copy). In all I worked for about 4.5 hours? I should keep track so y'all know how much time dress making really takes so when you ask me for quotes you don't pass out.

piece is basted onto my mom's quilt frame.
The thread tracing pulled when stretched so I clipped it in places.
In future I'd leave more ease. 

pulled tight to simulate how it will be when worn

I'm a little worried about it being see through...
beading may distract, but am considering lining the back
and facing the front. 

This was at about 3.5 hours in. 

About a quarter done?...a scant quarter...let's just say it's a quarter

I'm dying over how beautiful this is going to be

Other notes:
-I'm tying a knot after every 15 beads or so, in case something happens I won't have to redo much,.
-I'm worried about the resiliency of the fabric...meaning I think it's being stretched too much and won't bounce back to its original dimensions. I compare it with the pattern piece and sometimes it looks like I can get it back to where it needs to be, and other times not. Having it strung up isn't the best way to tell, so we'll see when it comes off the frame. Cross that bridge when we get to it.
-I'm feeling good about the amount of beads I have *knock on wood*. I think since I'm using so many different types I'll be ok...I might run out of the pink, but those are from in town. I'm feeling good about my NYC pearls and sequins. *knockonwoodknockonwoodknockonwood/

Opening Night Dress '13: I just want to bead it already!

I had my mom fit me in the mock up a couple of nights ago and I trued up the patterns today. I thread traced the pieces that will be beaded and will bead them before I cut them out. I obviously won't bead into the seam allowance, nor close to it. I'm planning on leaving 1/4"-3/8" clear of the seam so I can keep the foot away from the beads and have room to take it in if I need to. I'm going to set it up on my mom's quilt frame bc the beads won't work with a hoop. 

I just want to bead it! SO excited (for now...)
Since I'm not sure if I'll have enough beads I'll do the back and shoulder pieces first and shorten the sleeves if I need to. I'm not 100% sold on the sleeve length as it is, so this'll give me more time to think/might force me into shortening them.

Opening Night Dress '13: Oh yeah, this

So...I better get back to my Opening Night Dress huh?

Today was my first day for just me in two weeks. I cleaned my room, ran some errands, worked on a painting I need to finish for my sister, and did a sample for the beading on my Opening Night Dress. I'm worried I won't have enough beads and sequins...so I should probably use the most of the beads I can get in town...or get Jackjack to get me more in NYC :)

This 2"x1" section took me about an hour...

Merlot/Lace: all but the hem and buttons

I closed up the bodice yesterday and got the hem turned, stitched, pressed and pinned. I'll see about hemming it tonight or tomorrow. The back panel where the buttons/button holes will go has been stretching...I interfaced the facing to try and stabilize it a bit. The facing is stable...and puckery. Any future suggestions for stabilizing a facing in a flowy fabric without making it look stiff/interfacing the fashion fabric? I feel like short of fusing something to the fashion fabric this was inevitable.

I'm very happy with the sleeves. some of my best. The real magic is in the back though...so we'll see how that all works out as I haven't gotten a chance to look at it yet... For all I know it's all wrong.

Merlot/Lace: it's the inside that counts

Sort of...I mean the outside needs to look nice, but I'm really doing a bang up job on this lining. I so rarely have the time or the necessity for a nice lining. Not cutting any corners with this job. The only exposed seams are French, and the kind of exposed facing seams are going to be pinked. Everything else is completely enclosed. Here are pics of the lining and a shot of the back bc I realize I haven't posted a picture of it yet. It's hard to get the back to look good on the form bc the dress is so crooked and the form is so short. This is what you get. And it's the inside. Bet you couldn't tell but for the favored collar.

So yeah, basically did the sleeves today. Haven't finished slipping the second closed. Tomorrow I'll slip the bodice shut then either a break or straight on to the buttonholes!

FYI: I've worked up to the end of Season 5 of Doctor Who since Christmas. Into the Matt Smith seasons I realize my mood during the day is completely different because of his influence. It's a completely different show. If not for the Ponds I'd really be out of it. And Van Gogh. Such. A. GREAT. Episode!

Confession: I kind of skipped the Pandorica episodes...so this is the first time I'll watch them....I bet a lot more about season 6 will make sense.

slipping the sleeve lining in, no serging for me!

this is the inside. Check out those sharp seams!

insides

Merlot/Lace: working so hard today

I worked last night and had Monday and today off so it feels like I've had loads of time to work on my dress, because I have. I work for the next three days so I won't get back to it until next Monday, which is fine, because I need a break whether I want one or not.

This morning I had my bodice and bodice lining together. Now I have the skirt attached, the collar on and all but one side of the center back lining put in. It's been great fun as you might guess because the open back with a collar and all of that is a riot to line. No really, I love doing it. It's so precise, like making a million crotch seams, which are also a favorite of mine.

I must say I've been doing a bang up job and am really happy with how everything's been going so far. The collar looks smaller on one side, and did in the mock up too, but the pattern pieces are the same width so I don't know what's up with that. It's only a fraction of an inch, so I'm the only one that notices right? I feel like I'm so close to being done, and when you make the list (sleeves, attach lining waist, button holes and buttons, hem) it doesn't seem like that much, but it is. It's always more than you think it is in sewing. When I just have the buttons left to sew on it'll still take longer than I think it will. Ripping the button holes open might actually take a reasonable amount of time...

Anyway, I'm sure you want pictures. Because the form is so much shorter than me I can't really give you the best idea, but here are some shots to pique your interest.

bahaha, I'm so crooked.

before pressing, but still great. 

Merlot/Lace: let's get going!

Merlot/Lace mock up

I've been working all week on getting the pattern right for my merlot and lace dress. I don't have all the appropriate facilities or personnel and it's a beast. I draped it on a new form so that is an adventure, it has a Peter Pan collar to change whenever I change the neckline or shoulders, the absence of half the shoulder because of the open back is fun, and I discovered I have a forward right arm joint. I did a full mock up minus sleeves, then a bodice #2, then a bodice #3 with sleeves. I'd post pictures of the mock ups on me, but my garments are all over the place so ya'll get to see bodice #3 on the form.

I promise it looks much better on my crooked body. Real drapers probably wouldn't need three mock ups, but with my craziness and the open back and the collar etc. I want to get this right. Also, my life would be so much easier if I didn't have to worry about sleeves, which I will be changing to gusseted sleeves bc even though, as Jack has reminded me, I'm not an actor and won't be doing cart-wheels on stage, I hate not being able to move my arms.

Mock ups are so nice because you just draw all over them and chop them out. Now I have to be all careful about my marking blah blah blah, and the fabric is kind of squirrely.  I still have 5.5 weeks (eeeeee!!!) to get this done, but it's going to take some brain power. I better get started. Best case scenario I finish it early and it sits waiting for its debut. I won't wear it before New York. It needs a proper city introduction. 

New Project: Merlot and Lace in March

I'm crazy. I'm crazy bc I already have two irons in the fire and I'm writing this entry instead of getting presentable for company.

As you may recall I have the OND'13 I'm working on and long ago I draped my Striped Dress which I want to finish by the summer, if not by my NYC trip. Since NYC is in March I wanted to make a dress that can match the mood of March at its best and worst and still move into summer. I've also been looking for an application for a panel of vintage lace that like many other bits and bobs, found its way into my bedroom whilst I was away. Along with the lace I inherited some nice dark floral rayon that I think will make a nice late winter/early spring dress:

So, the panel is going to be the center front with the fabric behind it. I got the idea for the silhouette from the above Vivienne Westwood dress.

Here's the fun thing: Since the center front is going to be high bc that's a beautiful piece of lace and I want to use as much as I can, the Westwood dress is the inspiration for the back. The front will have a Peter Pan collar that will go around the back, which will be open.

I got a dress form for Christmas so I draped the bodice last night. The collar is JUST FOR SHAPE. This WILL NOT be used with my beaded collar. Right now the plan is to have the collar on a band that will button in the back. We're going for a quirky Zooey Deschanel kind of a thing. The form is my measurements but significantly shorter (which all are), and I'm counting on it not having the precision of a Wolf form, but I'm so excited to have a form to work with!

So there it is. I need to correct the pattern for OND'13 and get this pattern together. I also start work for real soon and go to my brother's wedding, so my off time will be very full, but I love it! I love getting new clothes. And by getting I mean spending a lot of time making them.

And lest you doubt, I am making this 100% LDS modest. I'm as pleasantly surprised as you are that the back can be that low.  Mormon fashion revolution!!!

OND '13: Rendering

Why does it look so blurry? is it my rendering? Probably. It took all I could not to outline everything in black ink bc that's my M.O. (really, look at any of my renderings on my website). The face is weird, I know. And my dad's scanner isn't big enough. There, excuses out of the way.

PS it still looks way too blue. It's TEAL! the paint is TEAL

OND '13: Patterning and Mock up

I got the pattern and mock up for my opening night dress 2013 thrown together this week. I used a pretty basic McCall's pattern as a starting point. I have a sloper for my skirt, but I never took my bodice apart from my patterning class so just decided to start with a commercial pattern. Ideally of course I would drape the pattern because I like to see proportion on a form, but I don't have one. It's good to work on my drafting!

I cut the bodice off the pattern, moved the dart to the neck and made it a pleat, lengthened the torso and did my shoulder and hip alterations. It's a lot of work, but is so tedious I love it!

The skirt was something else. I just kind of took my waist measurement and drew my hip line and blah blah blah flared the back and added a train, then did this other thing that seemed to make sense. At the end of the day it's a little too full. The mock up fabric is much lighter than the medium weight jersey I have. Too bad I had to flip the pattern so one of the patterns is not sparkly, otherwise I'd totally finish and wear this skirt! Heck, there's enough fabric in there I'm sure I could figure it out. 

I married the bodice to the skirt (I always giggle when I hear people say to "marry" pieces together. It makes sense, and it's super professional sounding, it just gets me sometimes) and ta da! I kind of hate the pleats in the neckline. I'm sure I might be able to fix and keep them, but I'm not wild enough about the look so I'll just take them out.

Since this is a knit I can tell from just jimmy rigging myself into it that it's too big. That's usually how it goes. I made the pattern to my measurements so it's typical that I'll have to take it in. I'll do a proper fitting today or soon to figure how much and to work out some other hiccups. I don't put sleeves in until I know my shoulder issues have been worked out, so I'll do that too.

The pictures are pretty dumb, but I'll take better ones with my real camera later, maybe?