28 DTG-Embroidery Decisions

The placement for the embroidery has become an intense study of the original pictures of the dream dress to figure how the look was achieved and how to duplicate it.

Remember, I had found these embroidery patterns for download from online which my mom can utilize with her embroidery machine.


To simulate the front, center medallion between the bust, I plan to look for a bejeweled and/or beaded piece at Michael's.


But upon close inspection, I see what appears to be a folded ribbon of material under the bust line and draped under the embroidery, peaking out at the hip.  To me, it looks like the same sheer that's used on the overlayer of the skirt, giving texture to the top.  Alot of the examples that I highlighted and liked had the same distinction under the bust, and I like the idea of the added texture.  So I think I'll try to simulate this by accordioning some of the silver sparkle organdy that I bought, having no known intention for it.


There's also a small line of crystal beading around the very top edge of the bust too, which given an appropriate amount of time and if I happen upon the right supplies, I'd be game to hand sewing on.


To communicate with my mom, which pieces of embroidery I'd like where, I decided to work everything out on the mock up.  With pencil (part of the beauty of using a mock up), I drew where the bust line and the hip line are all the way around.

Here I point out the 2 lines on the side and where they come out on the back.  (Which reminds me, I need to look into building a modesty panel, cause no matter the thickness of the ribbon, that line of my spanx is going to be showing through.)  The goal being to fill above the bust line and below the hip line with looping and scrolly embroidery.


I downloaded pics of the graphics of each of the embroidery pattern pieces (the "satin" designs versus the bean stitch, 5-pass or chain stitch ones because the satin stitch are the filled in patterns).  I did a bit of computer graphic work (cropping and resizing) on each downloaded piece and then copied all the graphics into a word document.  I resized each according to the dimensions given on the pattern site and printed out several copies of each piece and each piece's mirror image (to create symmetry on opposite sides of the corset).  Cut them out and went to work creating the look I was after.

Once I started pinning them on while wearing the corset
so I got a better follow to the curvatures, I modified
them a bit compared to what I had laid out

All the embroidery will be in metallic silver thread, not the multi colors that are shown here.  I printed them in various colors as a key, so my mom would know which pieces coordinate to which embroidery pattern.  Now to get The Real Thing finished and sent off to her and to talk to her about the details of purchasing the supplies and pattern and getting it done!


To Do List

• Make clean pattern copies of much worked pieces (so far 4 and 7)
• Skirt pattern work - assemble and iron
• Lay out pattern pieces on lining and taffeta
• Cut final top pieces from taffeta and lining
• Begin The Real Thing assembly (cause need to get it off to mom in the mail!)
• Modesty panel construction research
• Browse/shop Michael's for beads and embellishments
• Browse/shop for ribbon to lace up back - appropriate color and thickness