Construction Details:

The bodice pattern was drafted from flat measurements and the skirt was made by modifying a commercial pattern; both hand-made and commercial pattern include full lining. The ruffles were made with a serger, and almost all of the dress was finished with an overlocking stitch.

The applique process was as follows: cut each petal/leaf from the velvet, lightly iron to Wonder Under, cut each piece out, iron again to have the adhesive stick, peel off backs, pin on correct side of dress, go underneath to pin on the opposite side of the dress, and finally, iron on the wrong side of the dress to adhere the petal/leaf to the dress itself. Because the velvet could not be ironed directly on top of, special considerations were necessary to maintain the pile. This process, plus the satin stitching, took between 50-60 hours.

The waist cincher’s back and sides are from a modified commercial pattern, while the front was hand drafted. The satin is backed with interfacing and lined with jean material; for additional support, steel boning was used in boning casing between the seams. Metallic black thread was used for the top stitching as an added effect.

All jewelry was hand-beaded to emulate the design; six different size beads were used to give each piece a different shape.

The geta were cut from a pine fence picket and sanded to shape. The ha were glued to the sole with wood glue, and holes were drilled into the sole for the thongs. Swarovski crystals were added for an element of interest.


The wig was cut to style and stubbed where the two hair loops are placed. The hair loops are plastic tubing from Lowe’s with wire inside to maintain the loop shape. Part of a weft was cut and glue to the top of the tube, and then wound around the tube. The stubs were wrapped around the tube and glued beneath the wig.

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