Beaded Top

Right back panel - I have removed the beads from the neckline and sewn the bead thread back into the fabric - if you dont do that the beads could all unravel!

This is the back of the front I attached a silk mesh lining (from G & S Dyes) to support the silk georgette - the beads are heavy - the stitching you see is the basting stitching on the right and the hand sewing along the lines of the beads to make the 2 pieces one. At the same time I replace any missing beads from when I washed the silk.

Finished front neckline - I first removed the beads then staystitched with a bias strip of silk organza(stretched and ironed)  and then used a folded silk organza bias strip to finish edge

Bottom edge - I used the silk mesh to finish scallop - I now have to work out how to finish sides and how I will get them to line up. I cant sew the top together until I am in England with Heather!

Left back piece with finished V neck - now I have to somehow finish the right side to match it. I have a piece of silk mesh over the scallops on the shoulder - trying to work out how to finish that part

Barbecue for saxophone players  - thank you Angela and Ron - they didnt mind me sewing  - well removing beads actually

Several of my practise spagetti straps - they got narrower and narrower

I made a roll from cotton batting and covered it to create a base to roll the pieces of the top. Will have to carry it like that to England. Trying to work out how to carry dress - it is quite heavy but cant let the weight be carried by the spagetti straps as they are only basted in until Heather tries the dress on. The lining is also basted in so I dont want the top part of the dress to take all the weight of the full skirt at the bottom.  Another problem is also where to hang/lay the dress in Heather and Simon and Abby the cat's flat!

Motorbike serviettes

First side of serviettes using motorbike thermofax - used Speedball textile screen printing ink - I have printed over 100 serviettes and still have some left in the 8oz pot

Drying serviettes - Susan Purney Mark http://susanpm.com/ created the thermofaxes for me

Screened serviette - now just have to heat set and sew the over 400edges!!!

Used folding foot on machine and cotton poly thread but its not behaving very well - you have to work from the wrong side to roll the edge and the top side is wavy!

Switched to madeira rayon thread - and a new needle - size 10 and it is much better - dont think I have any in navy though.

 

 

 

 

Big tandem screen - wondered about using them as flags for signs to wedding!

Dress pattern

Pattern I started from - lots of sketching on pattern to show what needed to be changed

Cutting the lining which is now sewn together and tacked into dress - cant be sewn into the dress until Heather tries it on

Wedding Serviettes

Silkscreening the wedding serviettes using a thermofax screen. I created a padded surface so I could pin the serviettes in place and create a good surface to silkscreen - Thanks Karen for the tables!

Hanging the serviettes to dry

Crazy weather! - day after starting silksceening - these are hail that I picked up in garden -  really neat shapes

Had to switch to working in garage after heat of sun dried up the ink in the silkscreen

Tom the silkscreen assistant - really speeded up the process!

We developed a great system that enabled us to do 280 hits on the serviettes on one day - what a team!

Drying serviettes- just need to iron them to set the paint/ink and then finish 400edges!!!!!!!

THE DRESS

AnneMarie and I discussing how to make "The Dress

I hand washed the beaded silk as it was quite dirty - we think it is quite old

Heather with 1 of the many muslins

Second of the muslins with more of a back - previous muslin just had spagetti straps- changed the panels to princess line too

 

Final muslin created from previous muslin - decided to change the line of the front - see pencil lines just below bust- also Heather didnt like the shape of the top so making that more curved - see pencil lines

Can see the alterations I have to make - hope it works!!

This Judy is bigger than Heather

Muslin for the beaded top

Working out how much fabric I will have to buy for the top fabric, and underlining - Tom did a CAD drawing too

Test on miniature skirt - seeing which fabric to choose for underlining

Shows how important it is to cut the silk satin all in one direction  - you can see the  change in shine here

What changes need to be made in top pattern

 

 

 

 

Preparing the silk dress fabric and the underlining to be handstitched together - I hung them for a while to see how they would drape - had to recut one underlining as it dropped too much

underlined pieces hung to let them drop before sewing them together

Trying a different way to hang the pieces

Finished dress - while as much as I can do until Heather tries dress on in London - will have to adjust length of spagetti straps, sides of dress and the very large hem  - still have to cut, sew and attach lining!

Trying to fit the pattern on the fabric avoiding stains - nearly didnt make it!!!

Flood on July 8th - no damage to us but both our neighbours were flooded - sewing suspended to bail out basements!

Added silk mesh to back as underlining to support weight of beads- stitched together along all the lines of beads!

Working at Sheila & Rays cottage on the deck

Working on the beach - too hot on deck - Sheila set up the chair with cushions so I would be comfortable - thank you

Sheila inspecting the progress - just the basting done which will have to come out when I have handstitched the 2 pieces together

thanks to Ray and Sheila I was able to work in a beautiful setting - going for a swim when I got too hot