The Making of a Beauty Queen – Part III

So, after having the lining done and all the rhinestones attached, it was time to put the two halves together. She also wanted the bustline to have tulle poking out of it, to give interest to the eye at the bustline. I put the tulle between the outer and inner layers and they were sewn together:

tulle at the bustline

After that, it was time to work on the back closure. I really like making lace up backs. I think they are so wonderfully versatile and still so feminine. I mean really?! Who doesn’t the ability to lose or gain 5-10 lbs and NOT have to go out and get a new wardrobe! I think those Renaissance ladies were on to something 😉

There are a couple of different options for a lace up back. It can have a modesty panel, so no skin is showing (like the one I made for my customer); or it can be done without one (for the not-so-timid!)

open lace up back

After adding the panel and the cording, then attaching them to the dress, I threaded satin ribbon through the loops and voila! Here it is:

The dress hasn’t been through a final press, and I’ve discovered that mermaid flare at the bottom isn’t poofing enough. Next, Trouble with Tulle….

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The Making of a Beauty Queen – Part I

I’ve been busy. I know, it’s no excuse not to post. Maybe you’ll cut me some slack if I show you what I’ve been up to 🙂 A lovely, young beauty pageant contestant approached me about making her upcoming pageant dress. I thought how exciting it would be to have one of my dresses on stage and quickly agreed. I was given these sketches to create the design:

Front

Back

The dress would be a sweetheart neckline, mermaid style silhouette with tulle at the bottom, lace up back with a modesty panel, and a rhinestone starburst at the waist. Very glamorous, indeed, and a bit of a challenge for me since I’ve not worked with rhinestones before. But I was up for the challenge!

It’s important to start with a good foundation, so I began with the lining:

the bare bones

A good foundation is critical to every strapless garment. If not done correctly, with the proper materials, the dress will fail miserably. What you see here is the part of the dress you don’t usually see. When it’s complete, these inner workings will be concealed between the layers. I’ve used a teal poly lining with medium poly/mesh boning (black strips). This type of boning is flexible enough to let the wearer’s body be the star of the show while still providing support and control, as opposed to stiffer, corset-type boning. You also see the tulle layer here; the lining continues under the tulle so as not to be scratchy on the wearer’s legs when she sits and walks.

Stay tuned…. More photos coming soon 🙂

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