Uber Alice

Uber Alice was originally created for a client who asked for a Smock Shop dress based on Alice in Wonderland.  The set includes three pieces.  

It has an underdress of soft blue cotton sateen.  The bodice is lined, and has puffed sleeves.  Collar and cuffs are plain, white cotton edged in hand-embroidered bullion loop trim.  The skirt is full, slightly flared, and embellished with scalloped stitching, machine embroidered in white.  This dress is extra special because it's the first of my designs to have a functional button back.  It opens and closes with a row of beautiful white pearl "button" beads and loops made of clear elastic thread.  Please note that these tiny buttons do not make for easy on/off.  However, it's a beautiful look, and it gets easier with practice.

The pinafore is made from a bordered eyelet.  It is hand-smocked using three shades of blue in a pattern of three waves on top and three on bottom, with 3 daisies embroidered in between.  The trim that makes the straps and bow is custom made (by me of course) with machine embroidery techniques and special blue threads.  The straps meet in a V in the back where the permanently "tied" bow covers a snap closure.

The third component is a black headband made in the same manner as the pinafore straps.  It has a tiny bow of black satin ribbon on each side.

Uber Alice is currently available for order and priced at $80.

Overindulgence

Overindulgence came to be when I had been doing the same thing for a while and longed to explore some more embroidery stitches.  I got kind of carried away and over 30 hours later I ended up with my first gown for Blythe.

The dress starts the same as Savoy (what I was supposed to be doing), using the same high-quality cotton fabric printed with blue roses and other flowers on a white background.  It has a lined bodice and puffed sleeves.  The cuffs and peter pan collar and made from plain, white cotton, edged with hand-embroidered bullion loop trim in blue.  The collar is further embellished with two tiny bullion roses, hand-worked in 3 shades of blue with green leaves.  The bodice is smocked in blue with an intricate cable-and-wave pattern.  While early versions of the dress opened and closed with Velcro, any future orders will have the functional pearl button back described and shown above in Uber Alice.

A white underskirt is attached to the bodice lining and two rows of gathered, white eyelet trim are applied to the bottom edge.  The dress's overskirt is gathered up in six places to reveal the eyelet ruffles.  Each of these is highlighted with a spray of embroidered flowers that includes two bullion roses in 4 shades of blue, two blue bullion rosebuds, two blue daisies with white french-knot centers, several white french knots, and green leaves and stems.  

Overindulgence is a gown fit for a princess.  It is currently available for order and priced at $150.

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