Inspiration from unlikely sources

Ok - for my non-sewing buddies, this post is strictly for you to ooh and aahh over. And for you to tell me what an awesome job I'm doing. ;P For my sewing buddies... any suggestions would be appreciated.... Actually suggestions from anyone would be appreciated!

Ok, ready?

The prom dress...

I've gotten a good chunk done on it last week with Maddy sitting close by, texting her friends the whole time. She's my morale support. and task master.

"Mom - you don't need to use the bathroom! Keep working!!! Prom is in 5 weeks you know!!"

I made 3 bodices. The actual strapless top of this dress has 3 layers, so that's where they'll all go. The center layer will have the built in bra sew into it. The same layer has the boning, which are plastic strips covered in fabric so you can sew it onto the top. It'll keep it shaped around her so the dress won't fall off during the dance.

It's a good thing. *channeling my inner Martha Stewart*

Then the strips of bias cut organza... The one side of the top has the organza strips starting in the center back at the zipper and wrapping around to the front, angling down. Each 3 inch strip is folded over, ironed flat and stitched with a wing needle. That's what the designer in the mag said they used and who am I to complain! The stitch the wing needle made is kind of cool! At least it did when I finally figured out how to use it...FYI: Maddy pinned the bodice to my manequin and it's not the right size at all. I'm much larger than she is... So it doesn't look like it fits properly, but it really does fit her well.

I hand stitched the topmost strip, thinking I'd have to do the whole thing that way. Got very discouraged after it took me so long to do that, that I said, To heck with that! And the subsequent layers got machine sewn on with invisible thread. To just the top layer of the bodice. Inside of the top layer, it looks like a quilt.

For those of us that require reading glasses to thread a needle anyway... Oofda! But it's looking nice so far. I took it to my sewing meeting on Saturday to show the ladies and to find out if the other half of the bodice is going to make the tummy portion seem too layered, stiff and poofy. No girl wants a poofy tummy... My theatrical designer friend was there (the one that helped pick out fabric for Maddy's Sweetheart ball dress) and she suggested not to overlap the strips over what I'd already sewn on. Just tuck them behind the top row.

hmmm... That'll save a lot of time. My only dilemma now is that the half that I've already done, I was expecting to overlap the front piece. So I kind of shorted a few rows towards the bellybutton... And some weren't too straight...

The ladies suggested that my daughter just keep twirling and not stop dancing and no one will notice. Okey doke!
On Saturday night, Maddy allowed me to take a break from sewing and we went to the dollar theatre. Part of us saw Yogy Bear while the rest of us saw The Tourist with Angelina Jolie & Johnny Depp. Jolies clothes in this movie are awesome and I already have an idea for a crazy woolish shawl thing she was wearing. Maddy and I saw her black dress towards the end of the movie. Wow... It's kind of the same dress as I'm making but it's got a cape thing kind of built in with the black sheer. We're considering this as an option for the prom dress... but just thinking about it at this time. We'll see when we get the skirt & zipper in if we need to do something like this.

I think it'll add a lot to the dress, but maybe not. What do you think?