Katie and her forties Hollywood Dress - Part 2 - The corset

my numbered pattern so I don't forget the order of the pieces, they all look very similar

the base of the corset

the fine chanels need to be cut on the bias in strips

the all important strengthening stitches

the spiral steel boning

the pressed bia channels ready to be sewn to the corset base

the corset before the hem is sniped shorter so that Katie could sit down easily

the corset placed over the toile of the bodice to check the neckline positioning

the final corset with it's tweaks

the lower cut back, always fasten a corset in the centre

Katie really wanted some added 'hug' to her dress and to enhance that Hollywood hourglass silhouette we decided that instead of a strapless bra or basque we would make a corset. The curve in the back of the dress and the strapless design along with needing some secure support meant a custom corset was going to be the best option.
I was really lucky to be taught corsetry at University by an excellent pattern cutting lecturer Lee Hollahan who worked on Kate Winslet's 'Titantic' corset and the corsets for Back to the Future Part 3 to name but a few. Sorry this is a little name dropping and tenuous linking to my corset here!

This gave me some great foundation skills to make the all important bridal corset. This one went through quite a few changes being nipped and tucked as inevitably our model changed shape on the run up to the wedding. As this was to be worn all day it needed to be comfortable and most importantly light even with the steel boning.
I used a single layer of silk taffeta which is beautifully light and strong. Sometimes corsets are made with two to three layers for strength but I really didn't want to add any bulk or for it to be seen underneath the dress, so the decorative stitching you see isn't just fancy its adding re-enforcements.
The low back (corsets usually have quite high backs to give all round uplift) and maintaining support at the front was something that kept me up at night trying to figure out but we got there in the end and I love the fifties shape it has.  Bra designers are really the best engineers in the world to keeping us perky and bare backed, they are quite amazing!

The corset had extra narrow fine boning with is spirals so that it curves with your body and was then trimmed in lace at the hem and top to give a very soft edge that wouldn't show through the dress.
I really need a corset dummy as these standard ones can't have their waists cinched with their super tough tummies! 

Brides and Debs

The new bridal / debutant prom dresses and the updated, refined Debutant Debby dress. 

The prom dress is now built onto a silk corseted bodice instead of the bought in bodices I used before, This keeps it looking beautiful inside and also gives a lovely smooth back with no stretch. There is still the option for cups too if you like.

The new Ivory Betty and Betty's Big day asymmetric dresses in the lightest silk dupion which gives the full skirts a gorgeous ballet like float. Great to add detailing too in the form of veils, gloves, etc Audrey style.

And the new silk organza 'Candy' dress taken from our candy stripe floral collection with the colours de-saturated and a fuller pleated skirt added to take this design to a slightly more special level. I love the poppy late fifties feel of this dress with the strong outlines in the satin. I used to get told off for outlining everything in art class but outlines are good and I like to add definition.

The ever popular short wedding dress is a way of adding a second dress if you are having a big, big wedding or just feel the need for a costume change works especially well if you have chosen to have a dramatic full length gown with train for the main ceremony.
They also make a super chic option as your main dress and get amazingly pretty pictures too. You get to stay comfortable all day, can dance as madly as you like and depending on what you are looking for, they can be fantastic when you are on a modest budget. And there are so many things you can do to make yours unique.
A simple dress like our Betty dress  can be trimmed to the max with ribbons, vintage brooches and corsages, it's a great blank canvas. The simplicity and great cut also allows you to play around with veil options and go all out on the shoes. Then after the wedding you can take out your nets, add a leather belt and don some ballet pumps and off you go. I know there is a certain treasured feeling you get about your dress after the day but wouldn't it be awesome to just go out and wear these dresses whenever we liked?

For my own wedding I had a full length tulle number which looked fabulous in the photos but me not being used to wearing full length gowns and being a little scared of being a 'bride' on the day, I changed to a candy stripe tulle prom dress for the evening and danced away into the night very happily not feeling in slightest but wifely.
Being able to make the dresses myself did give me quite an advantage though like a kid in a candy store!

Katie and Her Forties Hollywood Dress - Part 1

This year is nowhere near over nor is my career (hopefully) but this dress is my dress of the year and the dress I am really most proud of. I love all my other dresses too but after nearly a year with this one it became very important to me.

I first had a call from Katie in September 2010  (OK, I just checked my emails it was actually June 2010, Sorry Katie! No wonder I am so clingy to this dress!) as she was looking for a Forties inspired wartime bridal gown to be made. I instantly jumped at this, anything with a vintage reference and theme makes me very inspired and Katie sounded like she had lots of wonderful ideas. We eventually met in September 2010 (this is right) and we had a chat about designs, Katie was excellent and had lots of inspiration pictures, and I sketched up a few rough ideas to start with.

Over the following months we decided on fabrics, Katie hunted down the perfect lace from the Cloth House , we tested toiles, and the dress along with the bridesmaids and the mother of the bride dresses developed. Katie came to visit her dress quite often and a real attachment grew on my part with this dress over the year. It really was becoming something very special. When it came to September the 30th  2011, watching my dress worn by Katie so beautifully walk down the aisle, It was like watching my child get married, I was so proud of this dress.  I was completely blown away and I still well up just thinking about it!

I spent every day with it in my studio over the last year and at times had to lock it away, It would make me cry, it hurt me but most of the time it made me so happy I would have to give it clap! Is it possible to have a relationship with a garment you make?

Anyway, enough with the emotions, here are are first stages of making the dress .....

The initial sketches and designs

Taking apart the toile, making the pattern and cutting the base fabric

The first bodice

Draping the lace skirt

Sewing the finest seams in the lace for the godets in the skirt

Stitching the seams of the lace

Placing the added lace motifs on the hem of the skirt

A little lace seam

stitching the lining of the bodice and ribbon waist stay in place

 I have a wonderful photo of my face whilst sewing the lining of the dress, it's not a pretty picture. These were some of the many stages that the dress went through as it became the final wedding gown. The best parts are the seams in the lace which were carefully hand stitched around each motif to give a seamless pattern to the hem. It's the little things like this that strangely make me very pleased.

Next to show you will be the corset which went under the dress in a matching cream silk .........

The black lace illusion dress

 The black lace illusion dress. 

This is the dress inspired directly by Princess Margaret's couture gown produced by Norman Hartnell that I went to see at Bath Fashion Museum. The dress was stunning on the outside with a full circle skirt in corded lace over a fitted, padded, pencil skirt underneath and has a strapless sweetheart bodice. I Loved the illusion of having a fitted silhouette underneath the fullness of the lace and the skill of getting the top layer to stand away from the body.
The asymmetric neckline was chosen to drape over the sweetheart underneath as this line is always very elegant and added more to the illusion dress underneath. The disappointment with the Norman Hartnell dress was that it was un-lined. This may have been so that another corset could be worn underneath or it had been taken out at some point but it looked a little tatty so our dress is lined in silk nice and neatly.  Finished with a black velvet bow.
Model: Nicole Handley
Crown: Janine Basil Millinery
Location: Banwell Castle, Somerset UK

Nicole with the giant bear at the castle, he knid of looks a bit Royal too.