Yur did wonderfully in her "runway" photo-shoot today.  She is a natural & wanted to share a picture of her new hat.  Here is a quick peek...

She looked absolutely stunning in her new auburn wig with soft curly waves.  And the hat was amazing..  It has a full meter of chiffon on top.  I am just going through all the photos from today & hope to have them posted in the gallery shortly to go with new pattern release.

I'm still working on the last few accessories for the final outfit made with this new pattern.  In the meantime, another photo shoot scheduled for tomorrow with a totally different theme so need to get everything ready.  

Yur has been busy helping to make chiffon flowers for her next outfit.  She wanted to do a demo of how they were made...just click on the photo to check it out.

Now that the flowers are finished they are ready to be sewn on.  Just one more accessory to go then Yur will be set to model.

The pattern is in it's final stages of proofing.  I am in the process of sewing on all these lovely flowers & putting on the final touches of the outfit.   The photo shoot will be next & then it will be ready for release.    

I added a few beads to Yur's new bodice.  Thought I would snap a quick picture...  

The whole outfit looks wonderful on her.  Yur's new wig is in progress as well, it is a lovely shade of auburn.  

Book binding was a great deal of fun.  The flyleaf on the first couple of books are just drying.  These give me a chance to confirm sizing & then I can get some more made.  I've been gathering various components whenever I am out & about, to make props, accessories & of course backgrounds.  My biggest challenge is to re-organize the house so that I can have a dedicated spot for setting up a room for Yur.  Been studying each room to see what can move where -  natural light being the best to take photos.

Bead mixes are wonderful to work with.  I was looking at my mix of pink seed beads & there seemed to be quite a variety of shades.  On closer inspection, there were actually 6 distinct shades.  The shades are quite subtle so had to do the sorting in daylight.

These will look lovely worked onto Yur's new bodice & will be incorporated to create different shapes.

I have finished the vector graphics for this new pattern featuring a two piece ensemble.  Next step is to take photos as I create the cover outfit.

A quick look at the progress so far with Yur's new outfit.  It is coming along nicely.  Still have a ways to go with beading on the bodice & finishing details but it looks lovely on her so far.  

I wonder how she would look as a red head?  ...perhaps a new wig... 

...Eagerly awaiting the flower blossoms.  We had a couple of days of glorious spring weather & thoughts wander to fashion embodying Spring!   I feel a desire to create something for Yur that will always remind me of the wonders of Spring...so will incorporate blossoms & beads into her next outfit...

I came across these blossoms & just couldn't resist.  All the stems have been & the flower petals separated.  Still have to take out the centers of the buds .  Removing all the plastic components is tedious & my fingers are a bit raw so will work on this a bit at a time.

These blossoms are such a beautiful colour, light & airy.  

Yur is looking very elegant in her new ensemble - clean lines & very shapely.  She is wearing a closely fitted corset style bodice with a lace up back closer.  The skirt is black georgette with a beaded hemline of scroll work pattern.  

Yur tried on the skirts for the bodice fitting & Wow it looked so elegant with just the black skirt that I decided to make a black slip to go with it.  I will use the other two skirt layers for another outfit.  The cut of the bodice & skirt is a terrific combo & makes it easy to mix-match for different outfits.  I think that this will be a very versatile pattern.   

These 3 photos were the best of the lot before an incident occurred with my camera (dropped it & now needs repair - never a dull moment).  So for the time being these are all the photos.    I can't wait for her stand to arrive, it will make positioning her much easier & safer for both of us.

The past couple of days has had numerous challenges & disappointments in the studio.  

I have temporarily shelved shoe making until I get a some clay for heels - I seem to be out.  I found that the flat shoe looked much too much like a doll shoe & was not very flattering on her foot.

And my iron needs to be replaced.  It flooded the entire ironing board & floor around it today.  Pressing is such a critical part of sewing that one cannot do without it.  I was just about to start on the corset style bodice. No sewing until I get a new one so definitely a high-priority!  Shopping trip to be scheduled in first thing next week!

On the bright side, I was able to finish the multi-layer skirt for Yur just before I noticed the puddle.  This will be her first real outfit.  The skirt is made of aubergine chiffon's & black georgette.  Each tier is a cut differently & at varying lengths.  At least now I have some needle work to do in the evenings.  

I am just planning out the beadwork for each layer.  I think that I will also incorporate a sequin mix which are much lighter than beads & won't weight it down.  

A beautiful finish to fabric edges is an embroidered scalloped.   This small scallop is often requested on delicate pieces such as custom bridal veils.  Some of the really long trailing veils can take several days just to do the edge & then there is the embroidery & beading throughout the veil.  Anyone who has ever made anything with tulle knows that it is not the easiest to work with.

Taking a break from the office work & getting back to working on the beading on my Stiletto Stocking.  It is coming along.  I am using iridescent white sequin, crystal bi-cone beads but the majority of the beads are silver bugle & seed beads.  In taking these photos, it is apparent that the picture colour is just off & not showing the silver well.  I will have to investigate some new software that will allow me to get a true likeness of the actual.  In the mean time, the photos do show that progress is being made...    

The lace on this stocking is quite sentimental...I used it to make the skirt accent on my daughter's Grad dress.  It is really a beautiful fabric.

Tomorrow it is back to working on a couple of more commissions...I know, I had thought they were complete but I find it very difficult to say no, especially to long time clients.