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

54 Days To Go-Research

Based on my to-do list from last time, I've been doing a lot of online researching for this project.  Apparently I'm still in left-brain mode?  I've also been on the computer alot fueled by my excitement and ideas over starting the blog, so I'm trying to balance not letting the documentation overwhelm my time for the actual project.  Good thing it's the weekend.


Embroidery


I did talk to my mom and she looked at the French Scrolls embroidery set I found.  The only problem was, we had no idea what file format her machine reads and if it was on the list of availability for that pattern.  Turns out her Husqvarna Designer I takes .shv file formats because it is a floppy disk only machine.  But she does have a conversion program on her computer that can take CD and memory stick formats and convert them for floppy disk.  So while, the pattern is not available in .shv, it IS available in the next model's (Designer I USB) memory stick format.  She needs to find her book to confirm that this line of thinking might work.  Everybody cross your fingers because I'm REALLY in love with the scrolls that this pattern offers.


But my research took me off on a tangent on Viking's website ogling all these IDEAS of things that an embroidery machine could do!  I could sell projects on etsy and through local orders enough to pay off the machine and feed my habit!  I sound like a junkie.


FOCUS.  Dress.  Ball.  54 days.  I just can't stick to one project at a time!  GAH!


Eyelets/Grommets


I tend to call them grommets because that's less confusing than pretty, edged holes in fabric (a la, eyelet fabric).  I found this awesome pictorial on How To Install A Grommet.  They're used a lot on curtains for the rod to pass through, purses for handles, and of course, boots for shoelaces...anywhere you want the fabric to glide but it allows clean, reinforced edges to the hole that's essentially left in the fabric.  So you might see where this would be sturdier in the lace up back of a corset than fabric loops sewn into a seam that the ribbon would pass through.  We're talking the one on the left versus the one on the right.

My eyelets are much smaller than than the one in the tutorial, so they don't have a back.  The eyelet is essentially rolled over or crimped on the backside of the fabric.  I'm still worried about the fabric fray-ability with this technique, but I'm thinking fusible interfacing between the taffeta and lining will provide some stability and maybe even some adhesive.  And while some instructions say to cut a hole in the fabric with scissors prior to inserting the grommet, I think a small X cut might be a more stable way to go.


After reading the instructions to make the corset top on Vogue pattern 2810, I've discovered that durability is added by inserting boning on either side of where the row of grommets will be placed (essentially on the edge of the back and about 3/4" away on the seam just inside of the grommets).  So I might need more boning that I've bought because my pattern doesn't call for boning on the back edges, only on the seams.


As a complete side note:  My online research kept turning up use of eyelets as a scrapbooking technique and so LOTS of beautiful colors have emerged for eyelets besides the traditional gold, nickel, white and black that are available in sewing stores for fabric purposes.  If the scrapbook ones are painted metal (and not plastic), I don't see why they wouldn't be usable on fabric.  Gorgeous colors like these I found at impressrubberstamps.com have me rethinking the ones I bought in favor of something that matches the dress or that pops a pretty metallic!  They're smaller though and my silver ones will accent the embroidery I plan to do.  And silver embellishments on the lilac material helped ease my mind in the war over which color to use on the gown to begin with (since now it's a bit of both).

Petticoat Possibilities


So, the desire to princess out the dress is taking over.  In order words, there is not enough tulle in the world to make this skirt "too full" for my taste.  And while the idea of traveling or bothering with a petticoat was too much to my way of thinking, a few layers of tulle added to the lining between L3 and L2 seemed worthwhile to investigate.


But since the last time I had to look at a petticoat was 10+ years ago, ebay has come along where I can buy a petticoat or a hoop crinoline for as low as $20 which is about $5 more than the online bolts of tulle I've found.  And for all the effort to figure out how to alter/add to the pattern, cut and gather tulle, the $5 seems worth it.  And I'd have a freestanding petti for any other future need, anyone to borrow, etc.


So the question becomes IF I decide to do this, which is better?  A hoop or tulle layers.  The idea of a hoop is appealing because I can get it as full as 6 hoops (we're talking Scarlett O'Hara HUGE which = Halloween costume!!).  But for the sake of my dignity for this occasion, it's adjustable and therefore shrinkable.  But I worry about the comfort and movement of hoops.  I will look like I'm wearing a hoop skirt.  That's just the way they move.  But if I do a petticoat, I wonder if a tulle one would be full enough.  Plus it is bulky to transport versus a hoop skirt because the boning can be removed and coiled in my luggage.


Tired of thinking about it, so I'm going to leave the decision to another day and a bit further along in the process.


To Do List

• Lay out pattern pieces and iron
• Calculate the lining I need
• Get to the other Hancock's in town in time to use my Additional 10% off coupon (ie 8am-12noon) on lining (that's in addition to the 30% off from the MLK sale, last day for that)
• Cut muslin corset top mock up pieces
• Browse shop Michael's for beads