Ballroom dress blog along

[GGinrhinestones]

So I wrote another blog entry which you can see here I'm not going to copy it here because it's more idea related and less actually sewing, but I'm taking a poll. Do you like stoning on skirts and do you prefer a skirt that starts at the natural waist or just above the hips? (Drop waist is not an option for my body type.)

Love stoning on skirts, as long as it doesn't make the skirt too heavy.

I'd say just above the hips, though the two skirt locations are pretty close (at least in my case). Since drop waist isn't an option for you, the just above the hips at least hugs the body a bit more, showing off the curves. High waisted (unless it's empress style or something similar) just looks very 1980s to me.

 

[mindputtee]

I have two presents for y'all today! A promised revised sketch and a video tutorials for rhinestone bracelets.

Qualities not great, I was sketching in class on notebook paper and took the picture with my cell phone camera. Sorry!

My green pen sadly exploded recently so I couldn't make it actually green, but the purple will have to work as a stand in. The solid purple is satin chiffon, the dotted is georgette, and the striped is organza (with crinoline in the bottom). I debating putting boning in the bodice to give it that nice shape, but the stoning also adds some stiffness so I might not. It has skirts now but my cell phone camera was being fussy and deleted the pictures before I got to transfer them.

And here is your rhinestone bracelet video tutorial!
http://youtu.be/l69kY-CQQEM

 

[gardinercd]

Fantastic tutorial, mindputtee! I've always put elastic into my bracelets, but now I'm starting to wonder why. If you use lycra, it realy doen't look like you need the added bulk.

I'm also amazed at how you stone with your fingers. I would have Gem-Tac everywhere! I use a toothpick/beeswax combo I got from Rhinestoneguy that really works for me.

You can make earrings and necklaces in much the same fashion by rhinstoning fleshtone fabric in a design you like, cutting around the design and painting the back with liquid latex.

 

[mindputtee]

Oh whoops, I forgot to mirror the picture of the sketch. The large float is on the right wrist and the small scarves are on the left side.

Thanks gardinercd! I tried the wax sticks and it just wasn't working out for me. I like the added dexterity of using my fingers.

I'm thinking about making a matching necklace in a similar method, once I have some more free time.

 

[Joe]

Interesting. I would have used chiffon, rather than georgette, for floats.

 

[NonieS]

Interesting. I would have used chiffon, rather than georgette, for floats.

Her fabric is Chrisanne. "Georgette" is chiffon in Chrisanne-speak. Georgette is their sheer chiffon and then they have the satin chiffon if you want the shiny option.

 

[Jananananana]

Her fabric is Chrisanne. "Georgette" is chiffon in Chrisanne-speak. Georgette is their sheer chiffon and then they have the satin chiffon if you want the shiny option.

I thought georgette was just a slightly heavier sheer fabric, similar to chiffon but with more weight to it.

BTW I love love love the design!!!!!

 

[mindputtee]

Her fabric is Chrisanne. "Georgette" is chiffon in Chrisanne-speak. Georgette is their sheer chiffon and then they have the satin chiffon if you want the shiny option.

That's right Nonie, it is really more like chiffon. What they call satin chiffon is much less transparent than normal chiffon and what they call georgette is like normal chiffon as I know it.

So I finished restoring the orange and purple dress in preparation for DCDI, and my midterm ended just a half hour ago, which means tonight I get to sew!!! =D It's been a while since I've been able to have a sewing night. My goal for tonight is to get the skirts properly attached and maybe even get the crinoline attached too.

Thanks Jananananana! It's gone through a lot of iterations, but I think I've finally settled on this design.

 

[NonieS]

I thought georgette was just a slightly heavier sheer fabric, similar to chiffon but with more weight to it.

Maybe for other fabric companies??... for Chrisanne, the georgette is the regular sheer, opaque chiffon. I don't know why they do that... it confused me too the first time I bought Chrisanne fabric. But on their website, they describe their georgette as sheer chiffon. Hey, if it makes them happy....

 

[mindputtee]

Maybe for other fabric companies??... for Chrisanne, the georgette is the regular sheer, opaque chiffon. I don't know why they do that... it confused me too the first time I bought Chrisanne fabric. But on their website, they describe their georgette as sheer chiffon. Hey, if it makes them happy....

Yeah, I had them send me samples to make sure I knew what it was I was getting before shelling out for it.

 

[NonieS]

Yeah, I had them send me samples to make sure I knew what it was I was getting before shelling out for it.

I was always confused on the difference between dance crepe, angelskin, and lycra, and for what purposes one would be better than the others, since they all seemed kind of the same to me. While I was at Blackpool, I went to their kiosk and made them talk to me about it, and then touched all the fabrics haha.

For the record, I am still a little bit unsure.... LOL

 

[GGinrhinestones]

I was always confused on the difference between dance crepe, angelskin, and lycra, and for what purposes one would be better than the others, since they all seemed kind of the same to me. While I was at Blackpool, I went to their kiosk and made them talk to me about it, and then touched all the fabrics haha.

For the record, I am still a little bit unsure.... LOL

I'm currently in the process of making a dress out of their angelskin, which is basically just very thin, very stretchy lycra. Their lycra is much heavier - well, "sturdier" might be a better word. The angelskin is very delicate and tough to work with, and incredibly lightweight, but also very drapey, which is what I love about it. Not sure about the dance crepe, but I'm guessing it's more "cotton-y" than the others?

 

[Jananananana]

I'm working on a dress made out of silk organza right now... OW OW!!!

 

[NonieS]

I'm currently in the process of making a dress out of their angelskin, which is basically just very thin, very stretchy lycra. Their lycra is much heavier - well, "sturdier" might be a better word. The angelskin is very delicate and tough to work with, and incredibly lightweight, but also very drapey, which is what I love about it. Not sure about the dance crepe, but I'm guessing it's more "cotton-y" than the others?

I mean... I touched them all.. I know what they are... but I still am confused lol. I got that the angelskin/dance crepe less sturdy than the lycra the Chrisanne people said they recommend using dance crepe for draping details and what not... but I am still confused between angelskin and dance crepe. They felt almost the same. I guess I just cannot imagine when I would even need angelskin over dance crepe. The Chrisanne people at Blackpool were not entirely clear either. I guess it just goes down to personal choice. No need to answer that... I was just sharing my confusion.

Either way, I am glad I got to touch them at Blackpool since I couldn't tell from the website and was dying from curiosity haha!

 

[Joe]

So I wonder what you ask for from Chrisanne if you want real georgette?