Past Creations: Pink Formal

Last year I made a formal. It was sort of for my graduations and sort of not. I wore it to one of the summer dances. 

I designed it myself and drafted my own pattern.

I wanted something that was modest and relatively simple. 

I wanted it to have a vintage appeal and to combine several different aspects from different time periods.

Here are the pictures of my mock-up that I made for fitting and design purposes.

Yes, that is a duct tape dress form of me.

I initially was not going to bustle the skirt, but then after playing with it for a while decided that I liked the look and was going to lengthen the outer skirt to allow for bustling.

I have decided since then that simply bustling a skirt can really change the look and make it look much more complicated then it really is.

It was to have two different pink satins (I used satin simple because that is what I had on hand and I didn't want to drive the four hours to get to a Joann's. The satin was not originally meant for this design. It worked, but I think it would be fun to make it with some different textures.)

I also got pink beads and did hand beading on the front and sleeves.

Since I lengthened the outer skirt that meant that I had a train when it was not bustled.

I hand hemmed the entire outer skirt and underskirt. I took a considerable amount of time. I also hand beaded the bodice and the back of the tulip-sleeves.

When bustled the outer skirt was the same length as the underskirt and made it suitable for dancing.

I just realized that this picture make it look like my bustling is uneven. That is not true, it really is even.

Yeah, outside shots! I think these pictures were about as close as I even got to senior pictures.

I suppose that is a little bit better on the bustling. It just looked better in real life. I bustled the skirt using little tiny clear buttons and thread loops I crocheted and then sewed into place.

I made these flowers to go into my hair.

I enjoyed making it. It is fully lined and there is not a single visible seam in the inside or outside of the garment.  There was a significant amount of hand sewing done on this dress. I also put in my second invisible zipper while making this dress. (I have put in countless ones since.)

Well, that's all for now.

Toodles.