Dressmaking for my Beadwork

I really am kinda retired.  So I feel free to follow my interests as they appear.  I have been cleaning out my studio, and keep finding things that could be finished.  And some things that could be started!

This piece of fabric was purchased many years ago, and I pitched it to several of my ballroom clients, but no one took the bait.  I may not have pitched with great conviction, as I LOVED this print.  I may have (on many levels) wanted to keep it for myself.  Kinda wish I had laid it out flat for you to see, but this was after I calculated a place where I thought my necklace might fit and chopped a hole in the middle of the fabric to have a look.  It's a poly single knit, and runs in one direction, so I knew I needed minimal seaming. I decided on dolman sleeves, and shaping from side seams only.

Here's the necklace.

Sooo...  A couple days later...

I pleated the right side to provide a more interesting fit and bit of movement.

The necklace fits the space, and without being too matchy-matchy, feels OK to me with the print.

Pleating detail.  I am an inch larger than the form at the waist and at the hip.  I fill it out a bit better!

And here is the back detail.

I am having a lot of fun sewing in my studio recently.  Beading is feeling very sedentary to me, and I want to be more mobile.  But it's still nice to wear all that beadwork, especially in a new context!

And then, of course, there is THIS!  Let's hope it does not become a permanent wardrobe feature!

Stay safe and healthy!