My new Etsy listing for this week was my draped tulle gown with rosettes. Very often when I'm creating a new gown, my concept changes from idea to idea. I find that if this occurs, I need to let the design "speak" to me so that I know what it should become. Now I know this sounds a bit odd but I feel that every successful design I've had comes from someplace in my heart, very often I need to set a design aside for some time so that I can return to it fresh.
I began with a simple sweetheart bodice torso and draped the tulle evenly down the length of it. (I loved draping in design school. In fact every class I took in fashion school felt like a new piece of some cosmic puzzle I was meant to know. ) I wanted this draping to be subtle and soft yet compliment the figure. My original plan was for a dramatic mermaid gown but I chose a trumpet semi circular skirt in the end. The layers of tulle on the skirt float as the wearer moves and twirl away from the body when dancing.
My favorite part of this design, as with most of my work, was in creating the rosettes and beading the gown. I took discarded scraps of tulle, chiffon, and organza and singes the edges of the "petals". Each rose was hand rolled and gathered up into individual floral puffs. Some remained unadorned but I added a variety of crystals and beads to the other centers. I LOVE the crystals because they were salvaged from an old necklace found at a garage sale. They are so lovely and bright, I also sprinkled them intermittently over the gown's skirt.
