I'll get there eventually!

A friend of mine is a very talented wedding photographer. He has kindly photoraphed three of the bridal gowns i've made as sample gowns. So hopefully i shall soon have pictures of my gowns up here for you to see.

Eighteenth Century Corest

It was Halloween yesterday, and I rediscovered my 18th century corset!....I love it! I think the shape is very flattering especially when combined with the style worn during the later part of the eighteenth century. I think a simple line would look fabulous as a bridal ensemble.

Beaded Flower Headress

These beaded flowers are made from swarovski crystal with fresh water pearls used for the stamens. The headdress sparkles beautifully, especially when under lights. I also make these flowers singly and mount them on hair grips, so you can dot them around your head....very pretty!

Ruched Corset and Dress

Shot silk has been roughly draped over an off the shoulder corset. I love the effect it gives and when worn is particularly flattering at the bust! The dress below is a twist of the same technique. I love the gowns of the 1950's, be they evening or cocktail dresses. The dress is made from silk taffeta and finishes just below the knee, i think it would look fabulous as a full length gown.

Corded Corset

This is my attempt at creating a late nineteenth century corded corset. I found the pattern quite challenging but I feel the result is well worth it, especially when I finally get around to doing the flossing. The design is probably not quite right for bridal wear, but I think it would be fabulous worn beneath period costume.



I may try and create a very similar shaped, but much simpler corset that I can use beneath some of my bridal dresses as the shape is so flattering. The majority of the dresses I make are corseted, as it creates such a flattering foundation.

The Purple Dress

A dress looks so different when being worn by someone!

Corseted Wedding Dress in Shot Silk

I made this gown at the beginning of the year. It is worn over an amalgamation of an eighteenth and nineteenth century corset, giving you an eighteenth century bust with the hip shaping of the nineteenth century. There is a huge amount of fabric in this dress (I got slightly carried away!), so I made it out of a shot silk, which is lined to give it a bit of weight. I love this dramatic colour, but I know it's not for everyone. I think it would look lovely in any colour, as the dress is a particularly sculptural piece. I need to get it photographed properly, as my workroom isn't quite big enough.

Eighteenth Century gentleman's wedding coat

I found these pictures of an eighteenth century jacket I made for the fiancé of a friend's bridalwear client. I used to work for a couture bridalwear designer in West Sussex. It gave me an opportunity to make something different and for a man too! This is the first piece of menswear I have made. I am quite proud of the results and it looked very dashing on!

Work in progress

I have only just made this corset. I have started beading around the neck and hip line but unfortunately have run out of beads, and one bead in particular, so I shall have to put it on hold until I find a supplier that has some in stock. However I am quite pleased with how it looks when worn, and am relieved that the neckline works so well. I've also shaped the corset around the hip line, which works well in breaking up what can be quite a harsh line where the corset stops and the skirt starts.

Corsets!

I have had photographs taken of some of the corsets I have made in the past. The corsets themselves are actually a couple of years old, so the patterns I use are somewhat different now. I find that every corset I make leads me to modify the pattern slightly or alter the way I put them together........for the better!

The corset above was originally made to be part of a burlesque costume, to be worn with stockings and some very sparkly shoes! The lace I used was absolutely beautiful and encouraged me to think about designing corsets that could be worn as part of a bridal ensemble.

To begin.......

This is my first foray into the world of blogging. The dress in this picture is a reproduction of a bridal gown worn in the 1840's. The shape is achieved by heavy corseting and numerous petticoats, making me rejoice that there are lighter alternatives available today!