A SPECIAL DRESS

FOR A SPECIAL LITTLE GIRL

A couple of months before Natalie turned 5, I was thinking I would like her to have a very special dress.  I was thinking of something soft.  Something sparkly.  Something beautiful.  Something she'd want to twirl in.  Something red.  Something that wouldn't break the bank.  I looked a little, then knew what I'd have to do.  To fulfill what I imagined in my head, I would simply have to make it.  I love little girl's dresses that when you slip your hand inside, they feel like silk.  Or melted butter.  No rough seams.  Nothing to poke.  I found a pattern, and purchased the material.  And the lining.  And the tulle.  I bought beads.  My heart was singing.  I love creating new things.  I had to come up with a design, a pattern for the beading.  I spent an evening paging through books in my sewing room, and came up with a little design.  This is the part I love.

I put my design on Sulvy, a water soluble stabilizer. Then I sewed it to the dress piece, and began the beading.  This stage in the dress making took hours.  Or maybe I should say, weeks.  I would sit down for an hour at a time and bead. It was very enjoyable work.

Once all the beads were in place, I soaked the piece in a water bath for about a minute, then laid it flat to dry. When I had finished the front, the two back pieces and the sleeves, I constructed the dress.  The beading was fun.  The skirt was not.  Have you ever had the pleasure of working with yards and yards of tulle?  It is a part of sewing that I could live without experiencing.  But experience it I have! (the tulle is underneath, out of sight-sandwiched between the lining and the fashion fabric).  Ah well, It makes for a very happy girl!

I was very pleased with the finished result.  And I would have to say, so was Natalie!