Tweaking the Dinner Dress

Re-Beading the Dinner
It began one evening while I was reinforcing the hem and snaps on this gown. As I worked, the black beads along the edge of the layers (which were glued on) began to pop off. The more I handled the gown, the more fell off.

My original thought (a suggestion from the Yahoo Group) was to simply reinforce the beads with a thread through the row. As I looked at the beads I decided that I didn't like them nor the look of the glue. I must have been in a very reckless mood that night because I proceeded to (carefully) remove all the beads on the dress along with all traces of the glue.

I decided to over-bead the "curl" design as well as replace the black beads on the edge. I used the smallest beads I could find, Mill Hill seed beads (2.5 mm) in jet black and Mars Hill petite seed beads (2mm) in silver lined champagne.

The beading took much longer than I anticipated! I estimate I invested about 70 hours and 3300 beads into the project. Wow! The end result was worth it however. Pictures do not capture the delicate shimmer, lovely weight and 3-dimensional quality the dress has now. Very nice indeed!

Adjusting the Skirt
My second "reckless act" was to un-pick the seams of the coral skirt to the knees. I hated the way the skirt flared out in a very Belle Époque way on this Titanic dress and that little weird train. I decided to take out some of the fullness and attempt to fix the train. I still can't believe I did all this to a $60 outfit!

The tweaking of the skirt was simple; a matter of pinning, sewing, ripping and sewing again until it was right. I think it's now as good as it can be. The train is still puckers but not as much so I'm happy. The hem is finished by hand with a slip-stitch.

completed

half-done

before