2009 Sewing project - February amethyst pictures

I did it!

It was a challenge, but I did it. Not only did I finish Andrea's amethyst-inspired party dress before the end of the month, I also made jewelry to match.

Presenting my lovely calendar girl in her February finery:



The dress is a tank-style, dropped-waist with a bubble skirt.

I used Gracefaerie's #3 Star Princess pattern as a starting point for design, and modified it from there. I made the scoop of the neckline a little deeper and wider. I also added about about 3/8" to the bottom of the bodice pieces and elongated the bottom end of the darts a bit.



The skirt was something I kind of designed myself, after doing some on-line research on making bubble skirts. I started with the pencil skirt pattern from Gracefaerie's #8 Ambassador design, then cut off the top inch-and-a-half or so, so it would mate with the bodice without gathers. I cut out pieces of the taupe-colored lining fabric from this and an iron-on interfacing, then stitched it up into a tube. This became the stable, inside part of the skirt. I then cut a piece of the plum-colored polyester to 36" X 7", gathered the top and bottom edge, and sewed it to the lining tube. And - voila!



The plum-colored fabric is polyester. The lining is also polyester in pale taupe. Although I've used the taupe lining fabric in other garments, I'm not a big fan of this type of fabric in general. It's slippery and difficult to work with. It's soft, and thin, which makes it perfect for doll clothes, but other than that it's an absolute bitch to sew.

I made the belt from a small cloak clasp and a length of trim I had in my stash. It is removable, so the dress can be worn plain, or with other accessories for a different look.



Here's a close-up of my gorgeous girl. Sorry - I never get tired of taking her picture or gazing at her lovely face.

Anyway - you can see she is wearing Monique's 'Hope' wig size 8-9 in Nearly Black. She doesn't wear this wig often. It's so styled, I'm afraid that everyday wear will mess it up beyond... hope. She is going to a party, though - so I figured she needed an up-do.



Extreme close-up for the jewelry. I stopped at my local bead emporium last night to pick up some of the findings I needed to put these together. My Ryung did not come with pierced ears, and I don't have the fortitude to try and pierce them myself. God forbid I screw it up! There are times, though - like this - that I get so tempted. I have a couple more of those little gold leaves, and I think she'd look stunning with a pair of matching earrings.

Next month - March! March's stone is aquamarine. I already have a few projects lined up... but that's a story for another day.

 

security16 Thanks! Ryung is my favorite doll.

delbelcoure I wasn't sure how the bubble skirt was going to look on her. It turned out better than I'd hoped. Thank you.

 

Thank you! I love deep, dark eggplant-y purple, too. It's one of my favorite colors.

 

Gwyndion: Thank you for the compliment, and for the instructions on ear-piercing! I will definitely try it. I do have a couple of other BJD's I can experiment on first, before I attempt Andrea.

nanonette: Thank you, as well. Yes - I was amazed at how wonderful the deep purple looks on Andrea. It's apparently one of her colors. Thankfully I love purple, so I won't mind making her more.

 

canadian_otaku86: Thanks! My next project(s) will feature pale blue, since March's birthstone is aquamarine. I have two dresses I want to make this month.

Athena Genesis: Thank you - I've been making jewelry for a long time, both for real people and dolls.

I love the fabric, too. I got it at Walmart, of all places - back when I was still shopping there. I was saving it for just the right project. I think it worked really well for this dress. The flowers are large, but muted enough not to overpower the design, and the shade of plum looks stunning on her.

 

AsteraPallas: Thank you. I've sewn since I was a child, and have made jewelry almost as long. I've been at it for a looooong time. ^_^

starpunzel: Thanks! The 'now I lay me down to sleep' and 'now I wake to see the light' pictures (I have both, the other one is just out of the picture) were stitched by my mother the winter before her precious baby girl was born. Me! They're almost antiques now. ^_^