of about a year while I was in Los Angeles and she was in Chicago. Naomi, my sister, planned on having a garden wedding in August in the midwest. She knew she wanted something vintage in feel and simple in design, nothing frouffy. We started the design process by looking for the perfect fabrics We found this cream vintage chantilly lace at a store in Los Angeles and knew immediatley that it was the perfect fabric. We then added the peach silk charmeuse underlayer, which warmed up the lace and had the exact feel of a summer garden wedding. I then sketched up several designs I thought she would be interested in, taking into consideration her personal style and taste, the feel of the wedding, and the delicate pattern of the lace itself. She and I agreed on the perect sillhouette, and I set to work. I started by draping up a "mock-up" of similar yet cheaper lace on a dress form, the mock up was then fit on her while we were both home for Christmas later that year. I then carefully took the mock-up apart, took several deep breaths and cut into the real lace. Once I had the real lace overlayer all stitched together, the tedious work began. Over the next several months, I spent around 200 hours hand beading peach glass seed beads and cut crystal beads onto all the ?flowers around the neckline, train, sleeves, and waistline of the dress.
Of course, each and every hour was worth it when I saw my sister's reaction when she first saw her finished dress!