The Making of "The Jellyfish Gown"

The Making of "The Jellyfish Gown"

Before we start this excerpt, I just want to express my gratitude that I had recieved from my family for supporting me through all the challenges that I go through in life, and also while in the process of making my first couture dress. 

I first started with signing myself for a couture class at my local community college because I had wanted to learn many new things such as higher end fashion, beadwork, and a new side of sewing and fashion. I encouraged my mom to also sign up for the class, which she ended up doing as well. It was fun to be able to have her go back into her college years as she ended up being a seamstress and worked in the same environment as what the college sewing field had to offer. Many professional machinery and equipment had been offered such as industrial sewing machines, industrial sized ironing boards, the biggest cutting tables you have ever seen, many dressforms of every size, and more. We were both expected to take on the challenge of completing two couture dresses for the semester.

We both knew that we wanted to participate in their annual "Spring Fashion Show" to showcase our creative and practical sewing skills. However, as previously mentioned in the last paragraph. this is a couture gown. This means that each measurement is very precise, advanced sewing techniques, different types of seams, and beadwork. There was absolutely no way that we could just make one size and expect it to fit perfectly, because the gown we made for the fashion show was also being graded in our couture class. We would have to figure out who is the model...

It had taken a lot of convincing to do so, but we were able to recruit my sister to be a model for both my dress and my mom's dress. 

The first step of action had to be sketches of my design and what I wanted to make. I made sure to make the model be happy and comfortable in what the design is. Making sure what she does not want exposed, the fabric styles, inspiration photos, and more. My sister had requested that I design her dress by using inspiration of jellyfish! I thought to myself, "What a wonderful idea!"

The design had consisted of a corseted bodice that had pleated fabric on top and some beading. The skirt would be a very full circle skirt that is tiered. The uppermost layer would be short and reaching to mid-thigh. The bottom two skirts would then be a half skirt representing the jellyfish tentacles and how they move through the water. The accessories had included of a seashell necklace, fishnet tights with rhinestones, and some sand colored heels with blue straps. 

It had come to the time of choosing fabrics, which was decided by my sister and I. We both wanted this dress to be a beautiful lavender purple with layers of sky blue. We had chosen a metallic purple organza, sky blue shimmer crushed organza, blue satin for the corset, lots of different beading materials such as sequins, glass beads, and pearls. 

Once we finally had the fabric, I had been able to construct the corset base. This corset had been a cupped corset using the wrong pattern... It had taken ages to figure out the pattern and why the cups had not been working, to find out that it never would have worked out because the pattern maker that sold this pattern already made the error. Needless to say, we ended up going with a different cupped corset pattern, that ended up working out just fine. The new pattern was then cut out and fused to make a much stronger material to withstand the weight of the other fabrics and beads. 

I began to then drape the blue organza fabric onto the corset, pinned and basted to be form fitting on the corset bodice. I knew I needed the purple organza as the top color, so I also draped the purple organza on top to create a three-dimensional effect to also represent a seashell. Once all the draping of the bodice was finished, I had hours upon hours of beading to do. The reason why I wanted to add beading was to add more depth to the dress but also add the magical feel of jellyfish as they float elegantly in the water. The end result of the bodice had made me and everyone else who viewed it up close in awe as they were captivated by the beading. 

Finally, I had done the top skirt with three layers of the organza fabric and fishing line sewn at the hem to create the jellyfish edges of the body that you see move in a wave like motion through the water. The bottom two skirts are cut in a full circle skirt, but gathered up to be a half circle skirt. However, to make it not so bulky at the waist seam, I needed to make them a petticoat extension. And of course there had been a lining satin skirt underneath everything to conceal it all. To finish off this dress, all we had to do was add the invisible zipper! 

That was it for the construction of the jellyfish gown, and now was the time for the fashion show! Our model was able to get hair and makeup professionally done by the cosmetology students at the school. Each guest had been greeted with hors d'oeuvres that were professionally made by the culinary students. Everyone that had been working backstage were student run by the fashion department students. The models were either guests or they were students at the college. As she had walked down the runway, you could see all the sparkles of the bodice from the very last row and it had taken everyone's breaths away as she stood at the center of the catwalk. 

This concludes my summarization of the journey that it took to make "The Jellyfish Gown" My name is Sam Harraman and I am the designer and maker of this gown! I am looking forward to many more projects as I embark my journey through sewing!

-Sam Harraman

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