I've seen some beautiful vintage prom dresses, and dearly wanted one. I thought it would look so pretty on a mannequin in the bedroom. The fact that I didn't have a mannequin - and that I didn't have the amount of money needed to buy a vintage dress - didn't put me off.
I decided that I would buy fabric, a mannequin, and create my own 'vintage' prom dress. I had an idea of how I wanted it to look in my head. So the first thing I did was make a tiny mock up. I make cards with tiny mannequins on the front (the mannequins are made from fimo clay and wire), so used one of the 'naked' bodies, and made a dress similar to the prom dress I had in my mind. Initially I had planned for the dress to be pink. But, after searching for fabric, the only pink fabric I could afford was horribly bright. I opted for cream instead. I bought crushed taffeta, satin, tulle (my favourite), net and organza. I love how old fashioned organza looks, feels and sounds. The net was too stiff, so I washed it first, to soften it up and give it a rumpled look - even though it was being used as an underskirt under the organza. I started working on it last week, and unceremoniously dumped all my beautiful fabric in a pile on the kitchen floor.
I've never made a dress before, but I have thought about it a lot. I started cutting, pinning and stitching, using the crushed taffeta. Pretty soon I had a boned bodice on the mannequin. (crushed taffeta is a superb choice of fabric, it's so forgiving as you can hardly see any stitches because of all the creases!) After that everything sort of fell into place. Now, it's not a 'real' dress, that is to say I can't wear it. It's made to fit Ruby (the mannequin) perfectly, and she is much slimmer than me. However, because I thought my little girl would like to play dressing up with it in years to come, I made sure that it could be used as such. The back is held together with vintage hooks & eyes that I bought online. I stitched pearl buttons over the top of the h & e's for interest, and to give it that 'I'm a real dress, honest guv ' air to it.
The underskirt is satin, then over the top of that is the net, sprinkled with beige and pink ribbon roses..
..finally, the organza is over the net. The tulle is used as the waistband of the dress, and I have stitched a few tiny seed pearls over it, and finished off with a pink organza rose. I tried to buy a rose from the 1920's, but by the time I placed the order it had been sold. I managed to find the pink organza rose online, it's not vintage but I think it really looks it. Still, the necklace in the photo is a genuine vintage one.
I have loved this little project. I wasn't sure if I could even make a fake dress, so I am really quite pleased with it. It didn't take long to do at all, and I was able to do it whenever I got a spare half hour or so to work on it. It looks rather pretty standing in my bedroom. I've not totally finished, I will add more pearls to the waistband and more ribbon roses to the net underskirt, but I can do that 'as and when'. Best of all, not only is it totally unique, but it has cost a lot less - including mannequin - than a genuine vintage dress. And I will be more than happy for my little girl to play with the dress, can't say I'd be the same if I'd forked out for the real thing!
I've seen some beautiful vintage prom dresses, and dearly wanted one. I thought it would look so pretty on a mannequin in the bedroom. The fact that I didn't have a mannequin - and that I didn't have the amount of money needed to buy a vintage dress - didn't put me off. 
I decided that I would buy fabric, a mannequin, and create my own 'vintage' prom dress. I had an idea of how I wanted it to look in my head. So the first thing I did was make a tiny mock up. I make cards with tiny mannequins on the front (the mannequins are made from fimo clay and wire), so used one of the 'naked' bodies, and made a dress similar to the prom dress I had in my mind. Initially I had planned for the dress to be pink. But, after searching for fabric, the only pink fabric I could afford was horribly bright. I opted for cream instead. I bought crushed taffeta, satin, tulle (my favourite), net and organza. I love how old fashioned organza looks, feels and sounds. The net was too stiff, so I washed it first, to soften it up and give it a rumpled look - even though it was being used as an underskirt under the organza. I started working on it last week, and unceremoniously dumped all my beautiful fabric in a pile on the kitchen floor.
I've never made a dress before, but I have thought about it a lot. I started cutting, pinning and stitching, using the crushed taffeta. Pretty soon I had a boned bodice on the mannequin. (crushed taffeta is a superb choice of fabric, it's so forgiving as you can hardly see any stitches because of all the creases!) After that everything sort of fell into place. Now, it's not a 'real' dress, that is to say I can't wear it. It's made to fit Ruby (the mannequin) perfectly, and she is much slimmer than me. However, because I thought my little girl would like to play dressing up with it in years to come, I made sure that it could be used as such. The back is held together with vintage hooks & eyes that I bought online. I stitched pearl buttons over the top of the h & e's for interest, and to give it that 'I'm a real dress, honest guv ' air to it. 
The underskirt is satin, then over the top of that is the net, sprinkled with beige and pink ribbon roses..
..finally, the organza is over the net. The tulle is used as the waistband of the dress, and I have stitched a few tiny seed pearls over it, and finished off with a pink organza rose. I tried to buy a rose from the 1920's, but by the time I placed the order it had been sold. I managed to find the pink organza rose online, it's not vintage but I think it really looks it. Still, the necklace in the photo is a genuine vintage one.
I have loved this little project. I wasn't sure if I could even make a fake dress, so I am really quite pleased with it. It didn't take long to do at all, and I was able to do it whenever I got a spare half hour or so to work on it. It looks rather pretty standing in my bedroom. I've not totally finished, I will add more pearls to the waistband and more ribbon roses to the net underskirt, but I can do that 'as and when'. Best of all, not only is it totally unique, but it has cost a lot less - including mannequin - than a genuine vintage dress. And I will be more than happy for my little girl to play with the dress, can't say I'd be the same if I'd forked out for the real thing!