Anatomy of a prom dress

I recently completed a prom dress for my niece Macey. I thought I'd show it off since it is probably one of the last big dresses I'll ever make...unless one of my future grand kids wants a prom dress...and I'm not too old to sew it by then...and they are a girl.

I used to do this all the time for Chelsie, not only dresses for dances but plays she was in and costumes for various occasions. So I thought this would be a breeze. It actually turned out to be a little bit of a challenge but I think I pulled it off...judging from the smile on Macey's face when she tried on the finished dress.

The bodice was the hardest part, interestingly enough, because of the curves seams in the front. It took me hours to get it right. And I had to make the sleeves from a different pattern since this pattern didn't have sleeves.

The cat was my constant companion whether I wanted him or not...one look at that tulle and he would NOT leave me alone! The thread going through the machine was another fascination. I did end up shutting him up in another room occasionally and he would meow and meow until I let him out.The skirt was three separate layers of tulle with the top layer covered in glitter and a base layer of the purple fabric. The glitter was a fun little side benefit of sewing this dress. Glitter everywhere! Notice my machine...a 1950's vintage Bernina...all metal parts...sews like a champ. Kevin gave me this our first Christmas together in 1982 and it was 30 years old back then! I love this machine.Here is the completed dress from the back...lace up back with a tie around sash.Throw it on a cute teenager and you have the finished product! She was especially excited for prom since she is going with a new crush and they are totally gaga over each other.

Here she is with the front view...yes, glitter on the furniture but that's ok...a small price to pay for a happy niece.