Thursday, June 11, 2009

Prom 2009 - The Princess Ball Final Chapter B5182

Miss. Archanette, Prom May 15, 2009

Happy lady

Joseph and Archanette

At the Car

Pretty Hair

Daughter, Mother, and Son


B5182
Finally, I am able to post the final review on the making of my niece's prom dress. It's been a journey, but a pleasant one. There is a lot to cover in this review and my sister in law provided lots of photos.

This was the second choice. The first was V2891, which turned out to be a little too much exposure. This pattern was the perfect selection for her frame, her style, and the occasion. I must admit, when I arrived at her home I was delighted to see a young lady who looked like she was going to a "princess ball".

Pattern Description: MISSES' DRESS: Lined dresses A, B, C have close-fitting bodice, semi-fitted bias skirt, train and back zipper. A: contrast drape and trim. C: bow. I made view A.

Pattern Sizing: 6 - 20. I started with between size 16 to 18. Then reduced the bodice between 14 and 16.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, I made a few changes. But for the most part my version of view A looked like the dress on the envelope.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, the parts of it that I followed. There were a few that I opt to use a different method.

Step 9 - I made french seam to join the front and back of the drape instead of double-stitching the seam. The french seam look much better than the double stitching. Pattern companies tend to suggest this method over the french seam method for handling sheet fabric.



Before Step 18 - I used the organza as an overlay on the collar instead of adding trim (Step 88).



Step 89 - I made loops for the button on the collar instead of sewing thread eyes.



Step 85 & 86 - For the lining and the skirt hems I did a rolled hem instead of following the instructions given.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? My sister in law picked this as the second choice; my niece agreed. I thought it was a much better choice than the V2891. I was happy to make it for her.

Fabric Used: Crepe Satin - Back from JoAnn Fabrics and a organza with peppered with glitter. Ambiance lining.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: There were quite a few.

Notions: My sister in law couldn't find a good thread match for the fabric. So she bought Sulky embroidery thread. I tried it; it sewed beautifully.

Alterations are recorded here.

Design and Construction Changes: See notes above in the instructions section.

I also made a stole, garter (a Chicago thing), and purse for the occasion.

My nephew (Archanette's brother) also went to a prom.




Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Probably not. But I think its a great choice for a special occasion.

Conclusion: This was a great choice for my niece's prom dress. She looked absolutely beautiful and enjoyed her special day. I would recommend this dress to others.

Here is my flickr set which documents the project and the event.

20 comments:

  1. Very nice, I think you did a really good job!! Princess she is.

    ReplyDelete
  2. She looks LIKE A LADY !!! It's a beautiful dress on a lovely girl. And, great hair!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a wonderful dress and lovely young lady! As I was looking at your pictures, the song "I Feel Pretty" was playing in my mind. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your niece looks stunning! Her dress is gorgeous and she looks wonderful with her date. Everything about this is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful! Great pattern choice, I really like the sparkly sheer overlay.

    ReplyDelete
  6. She looks beautiful in her dress!! I love everything about it, the style, fabric and especially the color.
    Great Job! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. My how fast they grow up; everybody looks so beautiful. Your neice is especially pretty and her dress is well fitting and age appropriate. She should wear blue more often. I just finished reading the GoFugYourself blog and Miss Archanette has a lot to teach some of those young ladies.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Awwwww! She does look like a princess. Beautiful dress!

    ReplyDelete
  9. This dress is absolutely gorgeous, and those young people are so beautiful. I think they will cherish these moments for a very long time.
    PS I love her hairdo!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lovely gown and she looks gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  11. She looks fabulous. What a perfect dress and you did such a beautiful job with it. The stole is such a nice touch.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow, she looks great and I am so impressed with you! Are you able to take a break now?

    ReplyDelete
  13. The dress & accessories are beautiful. You should enter them in the JoAnn Fabrics Prom Contest!

    ReplyDelete
  14. You just keep them coming! She's beautiful - and your dress just brought her up to the next level. I love the hair, too, so pretty and feminine.

    ReplyDelete
  15. She looks stunning, just like a princess! Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I know that your niece feels truly blessed to have an Aunt as talented as you. Just beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thanks for sharing the pics.!! She looks so gorgeous. That dress is truly awesome.

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin