Be Mine

This week over at Project Run and Play the theme was fittingly "Valentines".  When I think of Valentines I always think of victorian costuming, lace, champagne colored fabric, high romantic necklines and of course bustles. Thank heavens I a reader had sent me 1/4 a yard of gorgeous vintage lace a while back! This all translated into the Be Mine dress:

Since my first attempt had to be ripped off my model, at the last minute our little friend Carmen agreed to model for me, and it only cost me a milkshake!!

This dress although it may not look it was brutal to make. I had never made a Sabrina neckline before and so it really took some trial and error to get it right.

Plus I didn't want to make it too fitted to her neck because as a kid I HATED things tight around my neck  (to this day do not own a polar neck). The waist is accentuated by pleated grosgrain ribbon, which then used again around the sleeve bottom.

I bustled the back but tried to reign my usual over the top bustling habits in so it wouldn't be uncomfortable for her.

And they are only tied so if she likes she can let them down and have the dress flush with the front. I also embroidered XOXO on both sides of the bustle, but did a poor job documenting them (when it is 100 degrees out and like 95% humidity you rush through these things for the sake of the poor melting child ha!)

I made Carmen a necklace and a little metal key. She was so good about pulling it out every time it got tucked in (she will make a photographers dream bride, always thinking about the accessories ha!)

I made her hair clip from jewels and feathers I purchased the last time I was in Jakarta.  (This face is CLASSIC Carmen)

Thankfully she can get in and out of the dress just fine

Although it is a bit trickier when you are covered in sweat! Poor girl, she earned that milkshake!
Of course Sawyer and Finn HAD to come on the shoot with Carmen (they both adore her). At first Finn wouldn't let me get him out of the car. He said "I need a little break" and then shut the door and locked it. Okidokie, one less person to say "please don't stand by Carmen" to. He changed his mind though and eventually wandered over. THEN I couldn't get him out of the boat

Admittedly, it was a pretty cool old boat. So, that is my Valentines themed dress. If you wouldn't mind hoping over to Project Run and Play and voting I would LOVE it. This is the last round before the finale when we design whatever we want. So, if you want to see a finale design from me you need to vote :) Either way this has been so challenging and really made me work, even if I get the boot this week I will be pretty proud of myself for getting as far as I did with such AMAZING ladies and super stiff competition each week! I hope you have a fantastic weekend and I promise there is a fun Foreign Service Friday post in the works :)