This version of Belle's gown required a pleated waist. Pleats look cool, but they involve a LOT of math. (and here you thought you'd never need Algebra if you went into the arts...) I figured out the algorithm, and my assistant Hannah patiently pleated the entire waistband.
Skirt placed on dressform... here you can see the wide waistband, which won't be visible on the outside of the finished product. You can also see how intense that hem is that we have to do...
I didn't finish basting the corrections on the bodice until I could fit the bodice over the waistband to allow for the extra bulk that introduced.
Bodice is fitted, tops and bottom of bodice are joined, and the skirt is trimmed...
Rarely do I get another photographer around to include me in a picture with my creation. Thanks, Grandma, for snapping this one!
Adding the sleeves and neckline embellishment was the final piece of this project. I ended up having neither the time nor the budget to add the beading, but my assistant and I were pretty happy with what we managed to do with the trim. In any future incarnations of this dress, I'd raise the budget a bit to allow more detail here if the customer desired.
The pictures do not even do this dress justice. My customer said she loved the actual dress much more than the pictures! (and I agree!)
See Part 3 (and some updated embroidery!) here!
Looks gorgeous! Your work is so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteGreat work! It was interesting to see it come together.
ReplyDelete