Tuesday, August 27, 2013

A Celtic Wedding Gown

While I have gotten started on this gown about a month ago, today is the real test day: It is time to do the test embroidery, and move on to the real thing. Once the embroidery is done on the wedding gown, the rest can follow quickly. 


I asked my good friend Len Bell of Loime Studios for help with the art to be transformed into a digitized embroidery file. It turned out beautiful!
My next step was to play around with the color fills, and then put it into the computer to digitize. So far so good!


The test piece is is on the embroidery table as I type, and I am eager to see the outcome!







 












Stay tuned!

8/38/13

I have finished the test swatch on the scrap satin, and it turned out quite nice. I am confidant enough to move on to the main gown. Which, I might add, is now on the embroidery table being stitched. VERY exciting indeed!

Here are the photos of the "test" embroidery from yesterday:
This is fresh off of the embroidery hoop, I did not trim any threads yet.

Same with this. Also, there were a few mistakes where thread broke (cheap test thread) that will NOT be in the final embroidery.



































Just the beginning...
And here are some photos from this morning at the start of the actual gown embroidery on the satin wedding dress. It will be a sapphire blue with silver accents when it is complete.


























8-28-13 Update:

More work to the gown! Here are some very hastily taken (my sewing room is a mess right now) photos of the gown in progress. The embroidery on the main gown turned out gorgeous!




















 September 2, 2013 Update:
I have completed the gown, and the sleeves, now to attach the sleeves to the body (they are pinned in the photo) and attach the grommets and secure a hem. There will be a sash as well.
It's turning out SO. Beautiful. 19 Days to go until the wedding.....



Tuesday, August 20, 2013

A Castle Gown for Little Wren

My daughter is almost 9 months old, and I wanted to make her something special to wear to her first time at MDRF.

SO, I began this Castle gown for her with thistle embroidered neckline, and gold Celtic-knot embroidered hemline. Once again, a WEEK before the Faire opens.

In progress shots!

:-)



New Sewing Endeavors - A Lord of the Rings inspired gown...for ME!

I used to spend countless hours researching and re-creating gowns and costumes from the Lord of the Rings movies. Then I got married...and now have kids. :-) And I couldn't be happier! However, time was focused elsewhere!
I have been performing Gypsy style dance at Renaissance Festivals since 2005, so the majority of my garb these days is of the belly dance persuasion. Again, not complaining.

This season of MDRF, for the first time in years, I do not have to work there. And I am pregnant again with our second child. Upon assessing my garb recently, nothing fits right now, and I don't want to wear gypsy garb.

I decided to embark on a new Elven gown, a week before Opening Weekend at MDRF. It was inspired by the style I did my wedding gown in, in 2007. It should fit me now...and when the belly is back to normal.

Here are the in progress photos!