Breaunna’s Arwen-inspired Blood Red gown

Navy and rose-wine velvet, red and gold brocade, and trim so pricy I grit my teeth when cutting it. The sleeves are very long. They will cover her hands when her hands are lowered. The train has a built-in French bustle. This isn’t an easy gown to get into, and will require help. The velvet has some stretch, but is still slightly fitted through the bust. This is a tier 2 costume edition (aka upgraded costume version) that doesn’t use silk. As such, a back zipper, which the original Lord of the Rings film gown had, would have run the risk of puckering unattractively throughout the day. The sleeves have some good weight to them, and will try pulling the off-the-shoulder neckline lower. Body tape is made for this. 🙂 I loved making this gown!

More photos are in this gown’s Facebook album.

Titanic Dinner gown

All silk, crystal, all hand-beaded. 🙂 Seven packs of 3mm crystal beads at 2,400 per pack. I had 142 beads left. Four packs of 4mm crystal beads at 2,400 per pack. I had 67 beads left. One pack of 6mm crystal beads at 600 per pack. I could actually have used a few more, but substituted the 4mm. None left. One pack of sequins at apps. 25,000 per pack, and I wasn’t even about to count how many are left. Maybe a third were left. Add in about 15 yards of various silks, one spool of thread at 1000 meters, most another spool at 500 meters, part of another 1000m-spool… Oh my god, this gown was finally finished. It tops the last Heaven gown I made years ago. That one only had 23,000 beads. Heh. Only.

Of course, more photos are in this gown’s Facebook album.

  

1797 Silk Transition Gown

I made this silk over-gown for Lady Nora of Baronet’s Daughter Designs (she made the white gown beneath) for a 12th Night Soireeé a fe years ago. Very fun event! I had a night to make this gown, including drafting a pattern. It’s based on a fashion plate found on page 44 of Napoleon and the Empire of Fashion. It crosses over in the front, and closes with a pin. Just plain pins that we use to pin pieces of fabric together was a common method of closure in that era! One side is longer in front while the other is shorter and pleated. The biggest change, aside from color and trim, is sleeve length. This gown has a short little train. The party wouldn’t have been a good place for a longer train. The gold trim gives it a regal feel.

More photos are in this Facebook album.

Blue silk regency robe

Sometimes I am sent the most beautiful fabrics and trims to work with, and this is no exception!  Kat sent this gorgeous blue silk and the trim, and asked for a regency robe to wear for a sailing event. Here is the result! I’m not sure that there’s much to say aside from the bodice is lined in cotton, and the skirt is box-pleated. The center back is double-box pleated for more fullness while keeping a slim silhouette. By request, the pleats on the sleeves were moved to the top instead of the period-correct location of toward the back. The gold gown under it is one of mine, and it for the photos only. It looks so much better than just putting the robe on the dress form.

More photos?  Of course.  Here, in this Facebook album.

Cinderella Prom

This princess prom gown was inspired by Carly Rae Jepsen’s Cinderella gown. Inspired-by is key here. As we went along designing, elements changed, up to and including in the last hour!! The corset IS a full corset, despite the lack of seams on the outside. I’ve devised a method of corset-construction that doesn’t lack the integrity of traditional assembly, yet allows for not having those seams. (They’re on the inside lining in a special way.) The rosettes have pink Swarovski crystals in them, and these are special crystals, magic, one might say. See, Haley was in a production of Legally Blonde, and these crystals were left over from that production. I got them from the director and worked them into this gown so that Haley could have a part of Metro with her. She was going to star in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but funding didn’t come together, so I really wanted her to have Metro with her for prom.

The skirt has 200 yards of tulle in pink and blush over a cotton lining. Cotton isn’t as reflective as most satins, and so had the desired effect with flash. All of the fluff is tulle, no other supporting layer. The top layer is split, and draped back. The skirt is what was changed in the last hour. The flowers on the skirt weren’t there, but I was staring at the gown on my dress form, and something just seemed off. Then it hit me. So I grabbed chiffon rosettes and the rest of the crystals I had, and had at it. 🙂

As almost always, more photos are in a Facebook album dedicated to the gown.