I'm calling this one of my master works of my lifetime. Or at least I will, when I finish it. From initial research and conception to its present state, it has been over a year in the making, with over 100 labor hours and I-will-not-say-how-many dollars invested in it so far, and it's still not done. But I got it this far along, to the point of wearability and a significant "Oh, my!" factor, in time for a Quickstep that I performed with my ballroom instructor Vlada as part of the showcase night at Stardust Ballroom on 11/11/11.
There is much that still needs to be done to it before I wear it again:
-Continue the applique work further down the hips, especially on the left front, so that the transition from stretchy print to non-stretchy solid feels more organically flowing, and less blunt and jarring, also giving a smoother fit down to hip level.
-Take it in more through the waist... not a minor matter, since this will require partially removing some of the appliques in the waist area, performing the alteration, then reapplying the appliques. If you look closely enough, you may notice some slight bulging above and below one side of my waistline in some photos. This was the result of a "quick fix" - snugly applying an internal elastic waistband, intended to bring the fit closer to my waist in the torso area, where the leotard fabric had stretched over the course of many hours of holding it taut it while zig-zag stitching appliques onto it. It looks fine when I'm standing up straight, but when I bend or flex at the waist, the internal elastic waistband has the unfortunate effect of cutting into my waist, causing a bulge that looks like chub above and/or below it. Not cool, given the sleek lines that a ballgown of this sort is supposed to achieve! And a good lesson/reminder that quick fixes make for more work in the long run!
-CInch the bodice in along the armscye edges, especially where it is gaping along the left armscye - another fitting modification that is not a minor matter because so many appliques will have to be gently partially-removed, then reappplied.
-Properly-attach the corsage flowers (just safety-pinned in place for performance), preferably with snap-rigging so they can be removed when I get the gown cleaned.
-Finish the matching applique headpiece (not shown, because I had to give up on it and just pinn some flowers into my hair.
-Apply a few hundred rhinestones.
But even just getting to wear it in its present state, I was so happy!
I didn't plan my hair. And I'll never be able to duplicate it. I just twisted, pinned, and glued, twisted, pinned, and glued. I think I'm finally starting to get the hang of this whole "ballroom dancer hairstyles" thing. The key is to use a TON of gel and hairspray.
This is my international standard ballroom instructor, Vladimir Martinek. Sorry, ladies (and gentlemen)... he's taken... and then some.
Oh, and that's right... I did some dancing in this fancy get-up!
If you want to see more of the technical details about how I have been designing and building this thing, head over to my style blog, Circle of Clothes, where you'll find an extended post on the topic.
