I made the mistake of zooming ahead on just one side. By 'mistake', I mean, it's so much better to work on BOTH sides in tandem so they are done together. Anyways, I took a photo of Bianca with the test bodices on one side and the partially completed final bodice halves on the other...
Then it was back to square one with beading the second side of the inner bodice. I beaded around the edge to about halfway down the front, when I started beading the two sides together, because my girl doesn't want cleavage showing down to her waist.....
Then I had to sew the trim and bead the edges of the second over-bodice section. The lower front trim isn't finished because it won't get done until after the skirt gets sewn on...
Then tried it on loosely over the inner-bodice. I can't sew up the underarm seams until after I do the sleeves, and those are next....
The sleeves will be the most complicated part of the entire costume. I do most of the figuring out of how I'm going to make something, well before I draft any patterns or cut any fabrics. I had to decide if I wanted tight-fitting sleeves that would require removing her hands to get them on, or to leave them open from the elbow down, and insert eyelets to do them up with lacing. Tight sleeves would be more accurate, but I'm not a big fan of having to remove the doll's hands in order to dress them. So lacing it's going to be.
The sleeves will be made up of four individual sections; a puffy upper sleeve embellished with beads and jewels, an upper sleeve band to match the bodice, a fancy cream fabric lower sleeve, and huge hanging sleeve. The first three will get built up onto the sleeve lining, and after the sleeve and underarm seams are sewn, the over sleeves will get added. So first will be the upper sleeve puffs.
I had a bit of a nice sheer, cream fabric with gold threads woven in it, but it was too flimsy to embroider gold lines onto, so I got some cream tulle to help support it. But then I saw the scraps of cream striped fabric with the gold lines already in it. So, forget the tulle, and baste that striped fabric over top instead.
The sleeves will be made up of four individual sections; a puffy upper sleeve embellished with beads and jewels, an upper sleeve band to match the bodice, a fancy cream fabric lower sleeve, and huge hanging sleeve. The first three will get built up onto the sleeve lining, and after the sleeve and underarm seams are sewn, the over sleeves will get added. So first will be the upper sleeve puffs.
I had a bit of a nice sheer, cream fabric with gold threads woven in it, but it was too flimsy to embroider gold lines onto, so I got some cream tulle to help support it. But then I saw the scraps of cream striped fabric with the gold lines already in it. So, forget the tulle, and baste that striped fabric over top instead.
I checked out the situation with my red rhinestones, and didn't have nearly enough in my stash, so off we went to Michaels with some 50% off coupons to buy some more. I need to glue them all on today, so I can bead around them tomorrow.
RSS Feed
