Day 2 (Thursday)
6 am:
No sleep last night... sewed till the birds chirped~
Once I get started on one of these creations I just can't stop... I guess that's a good thing!
When the creativity flows you have to go with it!
I have my gown assembled and only have snaps, buttons and hand sewing left to do. I am quite pleased, but there are a few issues... I added a collar but I don't like how the stripes worked out... there are little white tips at the end which I thought would be interesting... They land right on her boobs... POOP!
I should have used plain white.
While putting the bodice together it reminded me of a Mans Vest... and with the sharp contrast between the black and white I decided to call this gown 'TUX'
I have created a kind of 'shirt dress' with buttons up the front... I LOVE IT!
I know it's not your typical ball gown, but isn't that what these challenges are about... to do the unique and unusual? As long as it works of course!
Day 3 (Friday)
Today I sewed on my snaps, buttons and did all my hand sewing...
Tried the gown on Tyler for a few preliminary pictures...
hmmmmm I think the bodice is too short... tried some 'belt' options but it didn't quite come out the way I had planned... I tried to fix the 'collar' problem I had by pushing the white tips up inside the collar and hand sewing the ends closed... I had already completely finished it inside and out and it would have been impossible to take it apart and remove the collar and alter it...
well... as might be expected it was too bulky... I tried sewing down the collar to the bodice... This worked... but I couldn't live with it!
I just had an idea ... I am going to make white 'Cuffs' with the same little black buttons on them... Although I love it as is, I Just felt I needed something to put this gown into the unique category. After all a TUX needs cuffs... :)
8 pm:
OK... cuffs are made... I like the look! Taking a quick trip to the fabric store before closing for some white cotton for an underskirt...
10 pm:
OK... I just cut out NEW bodice pces... I will make up a new longer bodice without a collar and see if this is more what I had in mind!
Day 4 (Saturday)
5 am:
yep... stayed up all night again... I made up the new bodice and it is exactly as I had imagined... so I proceeded to cut the original one off of my skirt and sewed the new one on... PERFECT! Didn't take too long and it went very smoothly. I also made up a ruffled underskirt to add some fullness... It didn't work... I need to use almost the same fullness for the underskirt as the gown... and I need stiffer cotton... trying again tomorrow!
Off to get some sleep
10 pm:
Had other plans for today so no sewing... I am still trying to figure out what my 'Oversized' element will be? Scale is so important to me and I want to be sure that what I choose is Perfect! Perhaps a jacket with a large collar... I'm thinking the same black cotton voile lined in white... Maybe just a huge black beaded necklace... ? I'll sleep on it
Day 5 (Sunday)
Had Grandkids visiting today... Hot day, great for swimming.
9 pm:
Just sat down to start working on a little jacket...
I searched out some jackets on the internet and decided to make a little tuxedo jacket complete with tails... I went to my fabric stash and found an appropriate embossed cotton sateen with some lycra... perfect... I should be able to get a great tight fit with this!
Drew up a sketch of how I imagine it to look... I am adding a long slim collar using the black stripe from my oversized pattern, as well as 'tails'.... I think it will give it just the right touch.
Day 5 (Monday)
6:30 am:
Heading to bed now... LOL Stayed up all night again... just had to finish this jacket to make sure it was what I wanted... and I am running out of time!
I feel that it works great with her gown, and the detachable cuffs can be worn with it as well...
I'm Pleased!
4:30 pm:
I was still not sure what to use as my 'overisized' element... As I was glancing around my sewing room I saw a black feathered staff I had for another project... I am using an 'out of scale' feather for her hair... It's subtle, but I am so afraid of detracting from this outfit with a 'goofy' oversized detail... The buttons I used are large anyway... but Oversized ones would have been very wrong IMHO...
I also made up a single rose corsage from a paper rose for her lapel... I Love it!
10 pm:
Back from the fabric store again... I purchased some white cotton 'ticking' fabric for her underskirt as it is stiff and should make her gown stand out beautifully...
back to the sewing machine!
Day 6 (Tuesday)
Well it's PD day (ship day)... I am always a little wacky on this day!
Still have to take my pictures!
4 pm:
Last night I made up the underskirt using cotton ticking and it turned out great!
I also attached the 'feather' to a little clip for her hair... not thrilled with how this turned out, but I was running out of time and it does give the look I was after.
I am not sorry that I went with my first idea to use the b&w stripe fabric, but I did second guess myself a few times throughout the challenge. Ted's email to me this morning didn't help... My vision was for a Ball Gown that resembled a Tuxedo and I believe I accomplished that! It will most likely not appeal to everyone, but I feel that I met the criteria set out for us...
I am quite sure I will get some unfavourable comments... but Hey... This was my Vision and I feel that I made it work!
Outfit shipped to NY today by XPRESSPOST at 3:30 pm
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