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.....

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!

Eventually, these wonderful shots will be on the website.
For now, they can be enjoyed on my blog.

Cherry Blossom Handfasting Cloth

Start to finish, here is a recent handfasting cloth I have done.
It turned out beautifully!

The last few stitches!

A long time coming, I am now heading down the back ruffle of the gown the with the last of the large leaves down the overskirt.
I am SO thrilled, it looks amazing!
Here are some peaks at what it is looking like now. I will have photos of it completely done tomorrow.

Bustle, ruffle, and leaves on bodice and skirt


The little leaves are all sewn on to the bodice now


View of the bustle and ruffle. There will be about 20 - 25 additional leaves trailing down the edge of the ruffle.

Finally done tonight!! :-D

October 8th Updates

We are almost finished! I'm so thrilled!

We are now over the hump (bustle?) with a lot of the tedious figuring out, and have just a few things left to do.

Left to do: Pin up bustle, pleat underskirt, and sew on little leaves on the bodice and overskirt. It will finally be done in the next few days, definitely ready by the weekend.

I have been SO busy lately with Faire and various other things going on that I have fallen a little behind in the picture taking. Currently, I am at my parents house for the weekend, and have brought gown, dress form, and sewing machine to work on while I am away from home.

Here are some photos from yesterday.

Sleeve pleating detail

side of gown and underskirt. Please note that these are in progress shots and the underskirt has not been pleated yet, or the bustle drawn up. It will be in the final stage. :-)

Sleeve and gown detail, the start of the leaves have been pinned to the dress form to test.

Full view! I added my little Hendricks hat as I am working for them this weekend. It looks kinda cute in these pics!

The start of the leaves...I am actually really looking forward to this part!