Across the Universe Dress

It started with a phone call.  Sometime in November.  Sam, my niece, was in the car with her dad and she said, "my dad and I were just talking and we had the best idea.  I was wondering ifyou could make my prom dress."

Are you kidding, I thought.  "Wow, I'm flattered.  I don't know if I'm that good. ...  Let me think about it."  

Of course, I did.  Here's the story.

I live in Maryland, Sam in San Diego, California.  

I visited California in December.  Took a few measurements.  Talked about the dress.  She showed me what she had in mind: 

With a few changes, of course.

- Higher in the back.

- A little less revealing in the front.

Then, I visited the fabric district downtown LA with my mom.  We found some silk charmeuse that reminded us of the picture.  But, unsure of whether Sam would like it, we didn't buy it.

December passed by with the flurry of the holidays. And then came January, then February.  I was ready to go full swing into designing the dress.  But, I needed a little help.  

That's when Margee Slim joined me in my studio.  This was the excuse I was waiting for, I finally bought a dress form.   I also bought a bolt of cheap muslin.  March 6: 

How hard could it be?  I saw them draping dresses on Project Runway all the time.  They only had a few hours, I had a couple months, at least.

March 15:

March 21:

My first deadline, March 30.  Juan was traveling to San Diego for work.  He could take the dress and have a first fitting.  I was scared.  I was going to get fired. She'd hate it and wouldn't know how to tell me.  It wouldn't fit at all.

But, despite the look on her face, she didn't hate it.  There were some things that needed changing, but no hate.   And so she and Libby marked the dress with the only marker they had in the house, one that bled terribly.

And sent it back, for revisions.