Rainbow Dash Ballgown Part 1

Towards the end of June I got a rush commission for the local comic book/geek convention. It was my most unusual project so far, but pretty fun and the first piece of mine to go to a convention! 

My customer is a fan of the show "My Little Pony" (it's actually legit fun, don't laugh!), and wanted a dress that evoked the look of the character Rainbow Dash. She found this Reference Art (By ponymonster) piece of art to use as a guideline and I thought it was doable. 

This project was my first time using a new method of pattern-making... the duct tape method. It actually worked surprisingly well and I got a very nice fit - absolutely essential for a strapless dress!

Pretty self-explanatory, but if you want more detail you can check out the video I linked to above.

Bodice is stitched and I'm draping the petticoat.

I had only a select amount of ribbon, so I had to be careful to match the hem's size to it exactly.

Looking nifty...

Then I sewed the rainbow.

And draped it...

And draped it some more... I'll be honest, I was not thrilled with the method I used here. If I'd had more time or been commissioned to do a more exact replica, I would have gotten different fabric (chiffon or organza) and cut it out differently. However, after a couple hours of fussing, I got a workable drape.

I love this boning. You can just sew it down directly to the wrong side of the lining. No messing about with pockets and tubes and bias tape.

I used six strips of boning, laying two on the center back, two on the front, and one on each side. It was exactly the right amount.

Aren't we getting a lovely bodice shape emerging here?

Next: see the bodice finished, the details added, and what the final ensemble is accessorized with!