Dress projects

So these are some of the dress projects I've been working on lately and thought I would share. Since it was too hard to take them on my body, so I used Molly's body instead.

This is Molly. She's the dress form my mom got for Christmas a couple years ago. Once we gave her a name we realized we really ought to start keeping clothes on her, so here she is in an outfit I made out of draping some fabric and an old shirt of my dad's. (My mom says the shirt is to ratty to use for anything, but I disagree. I will find a project for it someday and it will be amazing.)

This is Molly wearing my yellow dress from an older post. Granted, I made mine in coral with white flowers, and the belt isn't attached, but it's more or less the same. I really really love how it turned out.

And, how cool is this? The fabric is totally this old fabric my grandma had laying around when she died and that we sort of inherited (there are perks to living next door to your grandparents, apart from perpetual cookies and being the favorite) when she was gone. I think that's kind of sweet that her fabric lives on in a totally awesome dress that I designed and made myself.

And this is Molly wearing the white dress I modified yesterday while my mom was making me shorts (which are in turquoise gingham seesucker and rust, respectively). I have always loved this cheap little dress, but it has no always loved me. Mostly it was just uncomfortably short all the time, and this bothered me.

So I lengthened it by adding a purple sating ruffle to the lining and huge eyelet lace to the outer layer. I almost died of cuteness when it was done.

I love this so much. It somehow became even more feminine and adorable once the extra bits were added on. Also, why don't we as a society wear more satin? Apart from the fact that it shed all over me as it was unraveling, it was a delicious fabric to work with and I adore how it feels on my skin.

I also added satin and lace to raise the neckline a little bit. So much delicious satin.

And here's a shot of the lace trim on the skirt. Oh how I love it.

Needless to say (I feel like I use that expression a lot. And then I invariably say whatever it was that didn't need saying), I will be taking both of these dresses to Utah. Along with my shorts.