project #1
pink & green fairy dress
fabric
I purchased the original dresses for this project at Vinnies in Batemans Bay. I chose this peachy pink dreamy dress with a spotted overlay and a sage green linen dress with a corseted top.
the inspiration
I’ve been noticing a lot of dresses where the boning & structure of the dress are visible through layers of sheer fabric. I wanted this dress to be ethereal, soft and delicate like a ballet costume.
some of my design sketches & a little flower prototype…
corset top
I cut ‘windows’ out of the linen corset top, leaving a small seam allowance. I tucked the raw edges in bit by bit and hand-sewed them down.
progress polaroids
This dress was mostly hand-sewn. I only used the machine for the corset loops, ties and sewing the skirt piece onto the dress. So many hours went into this, but I found the whole process quite therapeutic.
highs & lows
I loved the freedom of making this dress. Just following my inspiration, no real plan, no pattern, no time frame and being pleasantly surprised with the outcome. It was an exercise of pure creativity.
A project will always expand to fill the time you have available, so this took me two years to complete from start to finish, with many long gaps in between sewing sessions. It’s a miracle that it was finished at all! Towards the end I was feeling frustrated that I couldn’t start sewing something else, so that was a good sign that I got my spark back and I’m now excited to keep sewing & creating new projects.
✨Stay inspired
Sophie x