27 September 2008

Looking for my Inner Tim Gunn

So when I first started working on my dress design, I keep hearing Tim Gunn in my head, telling me to edit my look. Thus the conglomeration of every idea I ever had for a wedding smooshed into one dress eventually got edited down to what I think is a pretty classy design.

But this one detail I am working on now, I am not sure if Tim would exclaim "Fabulous" or tell me I have "too much look".

I am so inspired by the gorgeous beading detail my friend is doing on my train. She started with the beaded edging I loved so much from Summerset's Midnight Garden outfit. Then she did a sort of sunburst pattern with bugle and seed beads, and now she is doing some scatter beading in several shades of red in the panels.



I loved the sunburst idea and it really went along with the art deco-ish feel I have for the wedding in general. So I thought I would introduce the idea in the covered buttons I am doing all down the back to the point where the red train starts.

I have really struggled with the buttons. Red ones were too harsh against the ivory. Ivory ones I thought might look a little plain against the magnificence of the train. So I embroidered a sunburst pattern in red on some buttons and came up with this.



Of course these aren't attached to the back of the dress yet, just laid down on some ivory fabric to see how it would look. But now I am not sure if this is too much or if this makes the look. If these enhance the train idea or distract from it (I am getting the train back this weekend, so maybe once I see them together that will tell me). I asked my Tim Gunn, but he ain't talking.

6 comments:

Rose said...

My guess is those gorgeous (wow!) buttons will look awesome with the train. Tim Gunn would be proud.

Alana said...

Wow. That's impressive!

I suspect they will be gorgeous on the dress.

Becky said...

I like the buttons. Simple, but enough of a little detail that it makes it pop. Tim would probably love it.

Summerset said...

Hmmm. I'd reserve judgement until both pieces were united and you could study the effect. I'm actually thinking that the solid red buttons might not be as bad as you think - they would visually lead to the train, yet not overpower by repeating the inverted v-motif too much or causing the focus to be on the buttons. Covered ivory buttons encrusted with beads/sequins could look gorgeous, too - incorporating the beads, yet not overpowering the statement of the red train. How many buttons and are they functional or just decorative?

Could you post some pics once you get the two pieces united so we can see the effect? I love stuff like this - there are so many things to explore, but you're right, it is all about editing!

Brooke said...

I thought about beading for the buttons, but couldn't work out what to do as far as the beading pattern. Just round and round with clear/ivory beads maybe?

I will definitely post some pics once I have the train, maybe pinning on several different options so I can get the different effects.

Thanks so much everyone for all your comments! Sometimes I get too close to the design to trust my judgment any more

Brooke said...

Oh and there will be about 25 buttons and they will be semi-functional. The dress will zip underneath, but the panels will really button over the zipper with elastic loops so the zipper doesn't show at all.