If Barbie became a vampire and attended a 1980s prom, she would wear this dress. It was made to order for a client of mine, who designed it herself and commissioned me to do the sewing.

( Construction Details )This gown isn't really my style but I would certainly sew it again if someone else wanted one. Once I figured out the trick of interfacing the bow, it was really quite simple and not a troublesome gown at all in terms of construction.

I've posted my silver and black Tudor gown on eBay. I keep thinking I will get an opportunity to wear it, but it hasn't happened yet, and I've had it for six months, so this is really silly and I should sell it to someone else who can get use out of it. But (*cry*) I love it so much! I hope it finds a good home.

As some of you are already aware, I own and manage an independent bookstore. I love to read, and write, and I don't have cable or TV in my home. We do have a DVD player and we do watch DVDs, but the rule is that we never watch anything we can't pause. (Try to follow that rule for a week. I dare you.)

My son (who is almost seven) is reading at a 6th grade level - not because he's especially smart, but because he spent the last six years without an Xbox, a TV in his room, or even a TV in the living room. People are constantly asking me "what I did right" that resulted in his love for reading, and I always tell them, "I banished TV from our home." (I can't claim this was totally my idea; my parents raised me without television, and the older I get the gladder I am they did.) Other kids my son's age are just as smart as he is, but their brains are held captive by their game systems and their dvd collections.

One of my friends sent me this poem, after she heard me explain to another mom about my "books vs television" theory. I'm not usually a big Roald Dahl fan, but I agree with every word of this poem.

( Television by Roald Dahl )

Starting work on a new project this weekend. This is another commission, so it will be done according to my client's specifications. It's a black 1980s style evening gown with a white sash and back bow. This is my concept sketch:

Yesterday while I was procrastinating browsing the internet for more photos of Fergie's wedding gown (for my 1980s costume project), I came across a crochet pattern for the same dress! I don't crochet but this is really amusing. I'm half tempted to buy it even though I don't crochet.

I have a costume customer who commissioned a 1980s Wedding Gown similar to the one worn by Sarah Ferguson (Fergie), Duchess of York. I'm about half done with it, and I wanted to post a couple of photos here to share the immenseness that is the train for this costume (though it's not even half as long as the one on Fergie's real gown). ( Read more... )

X-Posted

I'm finally getting everything posted on my costume website! Last Sunday we took a bunch of costume photos including pictures of a 1970s style dress that I made from a vintage pattern.

( Read more... )

There are more photos on the 1970s costume page of my website.

I finished the Tudor gown I've been working on yesterday. This was my second Tudor gown; I don't know a lot about this particular time period, but the pattern (Simplicity 2589) was pretty straightforward.

The hem and trim will be done by the lady who ordered it, so it looks a little bare in these photos, but I'll post photos of her wearing the gown once I have them. (Also, since I don't have the correct underpinnings, I used more modern undergarments on my dress form, just to give the dress some shape, but this is NOT the historically accurate silouette for this outfit.)

My website has more photos of this Tudor Gown as well as a Tudor Gown Dress Diary

I'm nearly done with the Tudor Gown I've been working on. All that remains is to attach the skirt to the overgown and make the inner sleeves.

Tudor Gown Dress Diary on my website.