On to the details!

The standing ruff is made with over 30 feet of lace, hand gathered onto a support and sewn into the bodice of the gown. I used an amazing lace generally sold for christening gowns, it has old fashioned crosses woven in, and I used the lace so that when you look closely, you can see the crosses in the edges of the fabric. The glory is in the details! In the beaded version shown above, I then used over a hundred heat set crystal rhinestones to add sparkle. The rhinestones don’t show well in the photographs, but in person you will absolutely notice the glitter of light on the lace. 

The bodice of the gown is made with the ruff attached, so no worries about putting the gown on and getting it set incorrectly. The bodice is double lined, and boned as heavily as a corset, for stability and a really good fit. You put the bodice on over your head, and it laces down the sides. You can even adjust the ruff on the sides of the bodice, if desired.

The bodice is trimmed with lace, and has a flattering triangular panel in the front made of lace. The lace for this panel is hand pieced from bridal lace that costs hundreds of dollars a yard, and will be hand picked to match the fabric of the gown. The lace is hand stitched onto the front of the gown, onto the wrists of the sleeves, onto the back of the gown in a decorative panel, and into decorative panels in the center of each sleeve. In the beaded version shown in the photographs, the lace is decorated with hand set crystal rhinestones, in gold and clear, and with heat set crystal rhinestones. As with the ruff, the lace on the gown sparkles in the light beautifully.

The sleeves of the gown are cartridge pleated, as is the skirt. Cartridge pleating is completely hand done- folding the edges of the fabric like a folded fan, and stitching each fold, top and bottom by hand into the waistband/bodice. Gowns throughout history have been sewn this way, but the technique has been nearly lost due to mass production. This dress is the real thing, and one of a kind.

Fabric options- As with all gowns, I recommend brocade. The fabric shown above is available! I can also make the gown in velvet, satin or silk in any color you like. You can also provide your favorite fabric, lace or trims to match another outfit, or to include a special memento.