March 15,  2019

The Mother of the Bride - Part 2 

One of my best tools for working through a design is sketching the design.  I do this before the muslin, as this gives the client a good idea about how the garment is going to look. At the same time, while I'm drawing this, I'm thinking about solving puzzles like how to keep the bodice up, on the shoulders without sliding down, and yet give her enough room to hug and move her arms and yet have a good collar that looks like she literally threw it around her shoulders.  Another problem to solve here is that how is she going to get into the garment?  Do I put a back zipper in the garment only to have her wrap half of the collar around, then how am I going to attach the collar so that it will stay that way all through the night.


Believe it or not - the initial sketch brings up all these design issues and how best to solve them. 

As we were beginning to discuss this design, my client began to be concerned about her upper arm coverage, so we begin to talk about sleeves - half sleeves, 3/4 sleeves and short sleeves -- sleeves in the fabric and then sleeves in the lace.  I did a color version of the sketch to see how she liked the bare arms - and she didn't.


This was simply too much arm for her.  So this presented another puzzle to work out. 


 

Teaching Moment #4 - Sketching Can Solve Design Problems

Sketching is a great way to solve problems and work through a lot of construction and design issues.  Even though this dress doesn't have a zipper in the back, I know where it's going to go - in the side.  That's one problem I've solved.  Another is that the collar will not detach from the dress.  My client will step into the dress, but because the zipper is in the side, it widen the waist so that my client can get her hips through the waist.  The collar is large enough so that she can pass that easily through the hips.  This makes less of a problem of how to attach the collar and keep it stationary and even during the evening. 

This finally became a solution that she could understand and that she liked.  Although the sleeves were a bit of a tough sell.  I knew this would work fabulously, but I also knew that she couldn't see the finished product. 

It was really time to make up the dress in the fashion fabric so that she could see what we were looking at.  Unfortunately since the sleeves were a last-minute addition, I didn't have the chance for a good pattern, so that required more fitting in the fabric than in the muslin.
 

Teaching Moment #5 - Finishing Your Muslin

Because the sleeves were last-minute addition, and because they weren't fitted well, there was a lot of time taken to fit the sleeves in the lace that could have been easily solved with a couple of fittings in the muslin.  As it was, it took an additional 4 fittings to get the sleeves correct. Muslins really can reduce the fitting time and number of fittings.  


With this finished muslin, my client has a very good idea about what the garment is going to look like.  That doesn't mean there won't be changes, but still it's a very close look for her. 

On the lace, I was sent a sample, which I knew would arrive on time, but it did take a while to get to me.  Once I got the lace in a piece, I was delighted with it as it had many more fine details that I could imagine  - one being the design of the lace réseau, which is the back ground that the lace is made on.  This had a delicate wave design but done in a flower motif.  Additionally it had a scallop and once we wrapped the piece around her neck to use in the collar, it was spectacular. 


Of course the high contrast of the dark lace against the muslin was beautiful.

Another feature of this lace was that the sequins were not all that bright.  That meant that when the flash went off, it didn't reflect little bright dots all over the person's face.  This can be a serious problem with reflective sequins, even though they add way more bling to the garment.


You can see here that the sequins have a more pearlized finish on them rather than the high gloss and high reflection of regular sequins.

Here's an example of high reflective sequins.

Also note the design in the background.  The réseau is basically a plain netting.  This is very common and the réseau that is on the lace we used is much more delicate and attractive.

See the gradation in heavy and light design in the lace réseau?  This made for a much more interesting background and this was another reason I wanted sleeves without any backing in the lace.  To show off the gorgeous design of the réseau.
 

Teaching Moment #6 - Allow Yourself Latitude to Go With The Flow!

There are many happy accidents that happen along the way from choosing the fabric, to making it up, that can add a lot to the garment.  In this case, when I finally saw the piece of the lace that had a scallop and additionally had this beautiful background, I wanted to use both of them.  my client wanted lace, but also I wanted to show off the delicate beauty of this lace, and with the sleeves we got to do all of that.  


Onto cutting out in the fashion fabric.  Actually this doesn't take that long because we have the muslin

When you are dealing with really expensive fabric and especially fabric that I know I can't get any more of, this is when you really appreciate your muslin.  I know this total pattern fits.  I know that it looks good on my client.  I know that this works.  There are parts of it that may look strange and even parts that don't look like they belong (that sleeve pattern is really funky looking).  But this is when I know that I don't have to worry about how the pattern piece looks because I've fitted it, and all I have to do is cut this out. 

Now I do trace this only tissue, as it's so much easier to handle when cutting out the fabric, but I do keep this muslin and the pattern once I've finished with the garment.



Now I've got the garment in the fashion fabric.  This is a great moment for the client and for me.  Now the client can begin to see what's going to happen and this is an interesting point for me.

There is always a time in the fitting, muslin or actual fashion fabric fitting, that my client has a breakdown.  What have I done?  I've gotten all this fabric and now I'm not sure if this is what I want.  How will I get back on track?

I've grown to expect this, because my client is 1.) having problems visualizing how this sketch of an outfit will turn out, 2.) having problems and questions as to whether we're headed in the right direction and/or 3.) I've made a terrible mistake and have to start all over again.    I'm used to this after 40 years of designing for clients.  I know what's going on.  There's a lot of finishing work and fitting finishing that has to go on and I know to let them know that everything is going the right direction and to continue on.
 

Teaching Moment #7 - Don't Get Discouraged

Here's the thing.  When you're making a garment, especially a biggie like this, you will always have a point where you wonder if you're headed in the right direction.  I can tell you from personal experience, if you've done the muslin, if you're happy with the muslin and especially if you are not finished with all the details finishing of the garment, do not prejudge your garment.  Wait till you finish it, then you can judge it.
 

Teaching Moment #8 - Press On!

I can't tell you how many times students come to me with a problem thinking that they have done something wrong, when simply they are on the right track and maybe the next step seems foreign or out of place or wrong - only because it's different.  Different isn't wrong.  If you've taken all the steps, press on - take the next step.  This happens to me often in my garments, and I will think, "Where am I?  Am I headed in the right direction?"  Even when I'm doing a simple pair of leggings I may look at the dang things and think, "Have I sewed up two left legs?  Do I have this together correctly?"  The truth is that there's an 80% chance that you do.  Press on and you will do fine. 


OK - let's get to the crux of this design which is how are we going to hold up the whole gown with only one anchor point - the waist.  Even though this wraps around the shoulders, I have some serious issues here.
   1.  The client needs to hug guests and family
   2.  The client needs to dance
   3.  The client needs to be able to move at least a little bit
   4.  The client needs to feel comfortable
   5.  The client needs to feel secure (no wardrobe malfunctions, please!!!)
   6.  I have to know that the design solutions are going to work all night long.


So here we are in front of the mirror - I'll do another close-up of those sleeves in a minute.  Under this off-the-shoulder collar is a piece of 3" elastic with a grippy elastic tape on the upper and lower part of the elastic.  This elastic is strong, additionally it's also wide and it grips, thanks to the grippy tape.  Once this elastic is in position, then it holds up the collar beautifully.  So that when she is kneeling (that's with the arms toward the front), or hugging (reaching around someone's shoulders), talking with her arms moving around, and/or dancing, she can move but that elastic doesn't move from the spot where it is. 

Also, there are 6 pieces of boning in the collar.  You will notice that the collar isn't ruched around the shoulders like it is in the muslin, which turned out better proportionally for this small figure.  The collar being attached to the elastic and to the gown (the under gown is a basic strapless gown), means that the collar also doesn't move, providing a frame around her shoulders and her face - the perfect design detail to frame the face. 
 

Teaching Moment # 9 - Frame The Face

I really like to frame the face of my client.  This is the "money shot" as far as I'm concerned and this is where I like to put all the money.  That means the most expensive part of the garment is around the face, and the least around the hem.

For continued support I added boning in the front across the bust line and in the back seams and side seams.  I also used coutil which is a specific fabric that corsets are made of, as an interlining/backing fabric for the bodice.  This fabric is soft but very sturdy and is excellent for keeping the bodice sculpted looking and smooth.  This not only insures that the bodice is well-shaped and constructed (it's very stiff at this point), but also gives the client a great sense of security.  The final addition for support is the waist band.  For so many strapless and otherwise gravity-defying designs, an inside waistband is the perfect solution for that horrible sinking feeling of a strapless gown (or off-the-shoulder) that causes the strapless hike!


This is a sure sign of an ill-fitting dress that will only lead to catastrophe if not fixed (this was the night Jennifer Lawrence tripped on her way to accept her first Oscar).  Had the dress been fit properly, the dress wouldn't have sagged in front and she wouldn't have caught it on her way up the stairs to get her Oscar.

Teaching Moment #10 - Test Your Garment Before You Wear It.

Yeah, sounds simply right?  Well, it's basic and it really sounds like a step that you wouldn't normally miss, but you won't believe how many students make their garment with no fittings and then discover that they can't sit in their pants, or that the top rides up too high in back, or that the sleeve armhole is too small, and believe it or not this last one is an easy fix! Granted a formal event you are not going to do jumping jacks or get on the treadmill or the stationary bike or at least shouldn't plan to.  So you don't need to have a full range of movement on it.  But you can't sit there like a China doll stationary all night long completely still.  This is not functional either.  So sit, stand, act like you're getting in and out of a car (this is a real important one), hug, wave, talk like you normally do (I talk with my arms and my mouth), and move like you plan to move at the event to check your range of motion and if there's any wardrobe slippage or malfunction that may occur!  You'll thank me later!  I promise!

OK - now I've built the cake on this dress - time for some icing. 


Here shows the detail of the finished sleeves with a scallop at the cuffs, the peau de soie fabric placket inside the cuff, with a gorgeous heirloom styled button and a nice long (big) loop to loop the button so that in case the client is nervous, which might happen the big night, the big loop can still be worked.  I hesitate to show my gowns on the hanger or not only clients, because they are so tailored to my clients that they look really badly off the body!


This photo is extra large and in detail to show the gorgeous réseau of the lace on the client's sleeves.  This hides her arms, but she isn't wearing the dowdy looking long sleeves in fabric, at the same time it hides her upper arms which she doesn't like. 

For design construction here, these sleeves were attached only to the elastic and not to the dress.  This gave her way more range of motion and yet, with grippy tape added at the top of the sleeve, it didn't move at all that night. 

There's one last detail here that was vital for me.  This is the mother of the bride.  The only person who should out-dress her is the bride herself.  The bride was at most fittings and felt that this was a very important dress.  I wanted this gown to walk in a regal profile, so that when the MOB walked down the isle, she looked regal - she looked like she was the big cheese in charge.  The wedding actually starts when the MOB walks down the isle.  She is the leader of the procession with the bridesmaids following, the junior attendants, then flower girls and ring bearers and then the bride.  So when the MOB starts the ceremony she needs to look the part.  She shouldn't out-dress the bride, but she does need to be the 2nd most formal person there.  For me that's about how the dress walks.

















Suddenly this dress takes on all the aspects of a perfect MOB dress.  I had designed this "pleat" in back that although the dress actually didn't pleat, because of the slight train, it dragged and created a pleat in the folds of the back.  This wasn't a mistake and took a lot of work to make the dress fall this way, but this was the vision I had at the very beginning when the client said she wanted a fuller skirt, but nothing to make her look fat.  Yeah, I know - she's the last thing toward fat, and she certainly wasn't going to look fat in anything she wore, so I didn't so much worry about that.    What I was concerned about was how it walked and to make it look regal.  BTW, there's nothing wrong with your eyes or the dress.  The dress fabric has a beautiful drape and and nap, and when the fabric drapes at a different direction it gives off what looks like to be a different color, but it's only the nap in the fabric!

 

Final ornamentation

My client had tried on a Marchesa dress at Neiman Marcus and fell in love with the 3-D design on the bodice.  But for her there was too much of the 3D proportionally and it overwhelmed her petite figure, so I was able to find some beautiful silk flower petals in 3 different shades of purple to add a little interest to the collar.  I wanted a design that was balanced but not symmetrical.  Symmetrical is a little boring, unless I'm matching a lace design in the center back zipper - then it's very cool!!!  

That and how the gown looked that night, I put into a video, which is hard to post here, but I did upload it on YouTube.    


Here's a video of the final look and details in motion. 


 

Final Teaching Moment - Life Happens

Life happens, and when it does, sometimes there's nothing we can do about it but go with the flow.  This was a hugely traumatic event that happened to this MOB and even though we carried on, (she had a deadline and a vision for her dress), it was well worth the effort in the end.

When life interferes with your schedule, I'm not so much an advocate of carrying on.  I left this decision to my client, but the truth is that if this happens to you in the middle of a project, take a good reading on where you are mentally, spiritually and psychologically and be very gentle with yourself.  Sewing can be a wonderful escape, and it can be a bear of a task.  The former can be a joy and the later can be a burden.  Don't make this a burden.  If for some reason, for whatever reason, an event, situation, person gets in your way, pull away from it if sewing is only going to create more stress.  You can always come back to it, and revise it for what your life is like right now.  And most of all there's no need to fell guilty because something outside your control has taken over your life for a short time.  

She carried it off beautifully that night.  This gown from it's inception to finish took about two and a half months.  But about  2 weeks after we started her mother had a bad stomach ache and she took her to the doctor to find out that she had 4th-stage pancreatic cancer and took her home to die.  So that delayed our schedule which made our schedule a lot longer than a simple interruption.

 

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