Yes, I have been working on the dress. It’s just not terribly interesting. I spent a couple of weeks hand-beading the top. There are three gross of rose Swarovski crystals on there. Ah, the joy of the 4mm bicone. Filled in with silver-lined dark rose tri-cut delicas. Nice. Way too involved. Photographs badly with my increasingly disgruntled camera.

So, I’m now starting to put the top together, which is interesting because, well, there are a shitload of beads on there. And when you smack into them with the iron, sometimes it breaks the thread and they come off and you have to swear. I did a decent job of avoiding the seamlines, but pressing is something else entirely. Last night, I finished filling in the shoulder seamline area. There is a band of beads that goes all around the neckline; it’s about an inch and a half wide.

Now that I have the shoes (yes, the Talbots ones), I can move forward on the skirt. I’m working on a petticoat for it. I recently found my old Bonfit Ribbon Wizard in a box, and now I remember why it’s so cool. I just put a 1/8″ ribbon edge on ten yards of green tulle in seven minutes. I love the look of ribbon-edged tulle. I have ten more yards to do, and that will be the bottom ruffle. I’m using this pattern for the petticoat. Sort of. Not really sure how that’s going to work out. But I have ruffles. Lots of ruffles. And stiff taffeta that is a bit more lime than I would have wanted, but it’s harder to find light green taffeta than today’s go-go world of fashion would have you believe. At least I’m saving the fabric from becoming a butt-ugly prom dress.