Hello from your beading blogging friend out on the west coast. I know I have been away for a while, but hopefully you will understand why, as I tell you the tale of the beaded gown that should have been made in six weeks not three.
From Andrea ... read my beading update from December 23rd, to see two short videos of Theresa beading and for links to her first two blogs.
From Andrea ... read my beading update from December 23rd, to see two short videos of Theresa beading and for links to her first two blogs.
After completing the first panels of the dress and looking at the timeline to complete the gown, I realize that I am going to have to change out what I am doing a bit to make the deadline ... leaving for London December 27th. Yikes!
The center front panel is too intensely beaded. I had wanted it to be super solid, but what with the timing I couldn't get there. I initially just marked the straight grain of the fabric with a white dressmaker's pencil and then intended to do close rows of beading. I would have measured and marked more, if there hare been time instead of eyeballing it. But you see, this was a whole new try for me. I had never done a beaded gown like this one, with the line by line beading. To speed things up, I decided to slowly open up the vertical lines ever so slightly while working towards the back. Make it look like it was intentional, I say to myself. And anyway, it is going to sparkle so much that few will notice.
The center front panel is too intensely beaded. I had wanted it to be super solid, but what with the timing I couldn't get there. I initially just marked the straight grain of the fabric with a white dressmaker's pencil and then intended to do close rows of beading. I would have measured and marked more, if there hare been time instead of eyeballing it. But you see, this was a whole new try for me. I had never done a beaded gown like this one, with the line by line beading. To speed things up, I decided to slowly open up the vertical lines ever so slightly while working towards the back. Make it look like it was intentional, I say to myself. And anyway, it is going to sparkle so much that few will notice.
I am also thinking to myself, why the heck did I even try this exercise, I could have knocked out a vermicelli gown in a week. (Vermicelli is a style of beading that is a simple wandering line of beads that can eat up square inches of fabric so much faster).
This is an example of a vermicelli pattern done without beads. Kind of looks like spaghetti, right?
This is an example of a vermicelli pattern done without beads. Kind of looks like spaghetti, right?
On to panel two, second skirt side front and one bodice back. I am checking and rechecking that I am beading the left side front. Yep, that mistake has been done before, beading two right front panels. Now THAT is something you really don't want to have happen.
After that first panel, my beading chops are really warmed up. It always takes 3 to 4 days to get my speed up. By this point, my dog is wandering outside under the beading loom, looking up at me forlornly with that "mama why do you do this to yourself look when we could play in the back yard?" My husband is questioning my sanity. Dig in I say, keep putting up those hanks of beads.
It's the gall-derned Savoy, girl! No matter how crazy they think you are, this is the right thing to do.
It's the gall-derned Savoy, girl! No matter how crazy they think you are, this is the right thing to do.
I manage to get the second panel off of the loom finished in two days. Whew. Only 13 days left ... onto the back panels. At this point even Andrea knows why I am not blogging. I start to wake up a 4 am in order to work on the gown in peace. I feel like I am catching up, but, oh darn it! I have to stop for two days to throw my annual Christmas party for about ninety people. The party has been Grintched by a lovely man who has a gorgeous large Julia Morgan home in Alameda. I had promised this months ago. He has staff to help me, but I still have to cater for ninety. Whole weekend lost. Argh.
Monday morning the 16th, 4 am again. Back at it, beginning to think that the whole household is right, I AM crazy. Back panels and whole bodice front and one back bodice to go, and that is before the white yoke. Yep, I am crazy. I pound the beads onto the silk all week long and think, I still have the whole weekend to get through this white yoke. Then, yet another disaster strikes. Saturday morning Joe accuses me of leaving the marriage. When work gets intense he doesn't get enough time with me and this was one of the worst gripes I had heard to date. Hmmmm . . marriage??? gown??? ( Never the less, he was lovingly taking care of all things in the house, laundry, cleaning and also rubbing my very sore shoulders. Taking good care of all of us, me and pup). I choose marriage as I can't manage beading in an upset household.
| 
Joe ... the good husband. |
But Joe often has to take a backseat!
From Andrea ...
Will Theresa finish the dress??? Will she save her marriage???
Stay tuned, next installment tomorrow.
Will Theresa finish the dress??? Will she save her marriage???
Stay tuned, next installment tomorrow.
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