COSTUME SUMMARY

Ambitious from the start, this may be one of my most treasured costumes to date. This was my first time attempting something that required exact replication of an elaborate rhinestone design that would extend over seam lines, curves, and on delicate fabric too! I spent many hours planning, patterning, sourcing, and preparing to make this costume even before my first cut of fabric. I focused on creating a pattern/template for all of the rhinestones on the front & back of the bodice, the front of the pencil skirt, and each sleeve. The way I interpreted Hannah’s design, I felt that the material that the rhinestones were applied on was sheer- which made it easy for me to exactly apply the rhinestones based on the pattern and stencil that I had created. This way, each side of the front, back, skirt, and sleeves, were exact and mirror images of themselves- no guess work needed! All of the rhinestones are genuine Swarovski crystal with a mixture of hotfix and sew-on stones. I also incorporated flat back pearls and a rhinestone trim into the design to break up the texture and sheen of the embellishments. The base dress is made of a navy medium weight scuba, and the outer layer with the rhinestones is a beautiful teal/green crystal organza. The skirt’s gradient material was a lucky (and expensive) find at Mood Fabrics NYC and is the most buttery silk charmeuse I’ve ever worked with- It felt like a sin to cut it! The skirt is lined in a rich navy satin and edged with mint sequins. For the shoes, I purchased navy peep-toe heels, and covered the front of the shoe with fabric matching my dress. Then I applied all of the rhinestones to the front and finished it off by creating stretchy straps to go around my legs- this way I was able to sew the straps into place and did not have to worry about criss-crossing them the same way each time they were worn! The costume is finished with a rhinestoned belt and center back bow.