The Wedding Dress

I’m calling this The Wedding Dress because, like furniture, when you put two totally different pieces together, they say they’re married!

The Fabrics

The embroidered fabric is from Guatemala, and the blue yarn-dyed fabric is from Spain. I adopted them both from other artists in my community.

This dress had so many challenges, and I didn’t make it any easier on myself! To start with, both fabrics are thick and needed to become a structured garment. My research said the Guatemalan fabric should be cut into squares and rectangles to avoid disrupting all of the beautiful embroidery work. The Spanish fabric turned out to be the perfect match to make something funky and fresh.

I drafted a pattern with thirty-two pieces and did not make a muslin. How have I come this far and done something so arrogant? I know better now because I took this two-piece outfit apart twice after trying to take it in twice. Mammoth seam ripping!

I was lucky enough to have enough embroidered fabric to make every row of ruffles match. The skirt has almost five yards of ruffles! Picking the accessories was so much fun, and the belt is reversible.

 

 

Before

This is how poor the bodice fit was originally. The top was too long and too wide through the middle. So sad!

What’s Next?

I have to find somewhere fun to wear this—or an art show to put it in.

Behind the Scenes

I participated in two local art shows recently. One featured my block prints and was called Cats for All. The other was The View, a juried art show here at Rosewood Arts Center.

I was also featured on my favorite podcast, Love to Sew Podcast.

And last but not least, my memory gift business has been taking off.

Thank you for reading,

Tracy McElfresh

Dream it! Sew it!

 

Tracy McElfresh
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