I have finally put this year's Gala Gown away!
First off, I had to find a hanger that is strong enough, but
plain plastic just seemed sacrilegious. Once
upon a time, I made myself a covered hanger for every hand-stitched dress. Somewhere along the line I stopped – probably
because I wanted to start sewing the next project and not worry about a silly
hanger. But it does look nice,
and prevents things from slipping around.
There was a bit of chenille yarn left in a drawer, so out it came, along
with a sturdy plastic tube hanger.
Because the front section of the skirt waist is not attached
to the bodice, I needed to figure out how to hang the garment without creating
unnecessary strain at the side seams.
I
ended up adding two ribbon loops to the skirt waist that loop over the
hanger. This helps to re-distribute the
weight.
Most beaded items are not supposed to hang, but since this fabric is upholstery weight, very sturdy, interfaced with hair canvas, and the beads are not completely covering the dress, I think it will do just fine on a hanger.
And, of course, I needed to make a cover to prevent snags, dust,
and who know what else from marring my lovely lady. My Ceil Chapman Gown from a couple of years
ago was hanging on the back of the sewing room door waiting to be put away and
narrowly missed being leaked on during the first big rainstorm of that season. That will teach me to leave
things unprotected (although, to be fair, having water come through a smoke detector was not
something I could have foreseen).
Here are a few stats:
~ 6 yards of fabric (between the fashion fabric, lining, and
hair canvas)
10 Buttons
~ 300 yards of silk thread (I went through at least 3 spools
with all the beading and hand basting!)
~ 19,500 seed beads
Too many stab wounds to the fingertips to count
A whole bunch of Pad Stitching
~ 10 yards of Hug Snug
1 yard of horsehair braid for the peplums
1 yard grosgrain ribbon
1 yard belting
5 hook & eyes
3 snaps
1 zipper
Plastic Canvas (for belt "buckle")
Cotton Batting (for shoulder pads)
And that is just the dress!
There were also feathers, buckram, felt, purses and shoe clips to contend with.
Although I stopped keeping track of my time during that last
week (and I know I missed some of the early tracing/fitting hours) my total time
spent on this project over 2.5 months is . . . ~ 156 hours!!
Actually, I am not sure I wanted to know that. But the next time someone asks how long my
projects take, I guess I know the answer!
Only taking into account my time, and paying myself minimum wage, would price
the dress over $1,200. Next time I hear
of a red carpet gown that costs more than I make in an
entire year, I will think twice about rolling my eyes.
I have to admit that this weekend was the first time I have
used my sewing machine since the end of October, and now that I have done the
math, I understand why. But it feels
good to be back!
You are not counting the years of dedicated sewing and learning that have made you the consummate seamstress that you are today. Your skills are certainly worth more than minimum wage!
ReplyDeleteAs always, I love seeing your posts, especially the ones where you show how to do what you do. It is very much artistry as opposed to craft. I'm clearly not so schooled about sewing as you are, however, I would love to see how you made the covered hanger. I may never have a life that goes with the beautiful wardrobe, (or the figure), but I can dream. Would you mind sharing that also? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteLoved reading this "recap" of the gala dress project. I think you should multiply by 10 (at least) to get a more proper assessment of the "worth" of your dress. Or, actually, "priceless" is probably more appropriate!
ReplyDeleteGoodbye pretty Gala Gown! I hope Laura takes you out again soon! :)
ReplyDeleteThat's an excellent point regarding the pricing of red garment gowns. Granted, most of them will still have a very decent mark-up, but there is a great deal of work, time and material that goes in to many. They're not (usually) mass produced in any capacity and the public shouldn't expect them to cost little more than a prom dress from the local mall, when they're exquisite works of art, labour and creative love, just like your stunning gala gown.
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica
An haute couture gown like that would be well over $100,000. So you can price your time accordingly. And you have to figure in the pleasure of creating and wearing, which is priceless.
ReplyDelete