Greetings, All!
The other day I posted A Tale of Two Dresses Part 1, detailing my journey of creating a dressy suit stylish enough for my delightful mother to wear to a "black tie optional" wedding. A big "thank you!!" to all who emailed with your supportive comments! SO appreciated- xoxo! Today I wrap up Tale, Part 2, a brief entry about the dress I made for myself.
You may recall my first design attempt was only partly successful. The muslin I sewed, a fitted '50's-style bodice with a full skirt, fit my body as it should have. But upon try-on I realized this style did NOT look good on my curvy figure. "Stuffed sausage," was the phrase I almost used... and I love my curves! I needed a new approach. (A critical eye is every designer's best friend, believe you me.)
I regrouped, choosing a sculptural dress design by Lynn Mizono, published by Vogue Patterns American Designer.
This design had potential to emphasize my good parts- nice arms, juicy bust line- and with its vertical fold lines and no horizontal waist seam, make me feel comfortable and sassy. Fortunately, I also had a luscious fabric on-hand: an iridescent cranberry-colored silk dupioni. Mmmmm....
You can see how the crisp hand of this fabric holds a sculptural fold and reflects light. With this treasure at my fingertips, I sallied forth! Here is the final result:
I threw on some sparkly slingbacks that had that 50's vibe I wanted initially. I was ready to roll!
I can't pretend I looked as fabulous as my mom (it's her spirit! No one can compete!), but I felt terrific as her side-kick.
Thanks for reading. Keep on dreaming!
With gratitude,
Randi