This month is a mournful month, the demises of some of the great people of our history, and at the end of it, her anniversary.
When I chose to sew a dress from this clothe, I remember that my mom asked, “Why, why exactly this one?!” I did not know the answer then myself but was to learn it quickly after that. Few days later I heard that she was killed in a car accident.
Diana, the Princess of Wales, this black silken dress is forever connected with her memory. Today, I put it on my doll-model, and dedicate the post to her.
It happens that such odd coincidences use to run across me. Yet, they do not come less shocking with the time. When I learnt the mournful news I was devastated as were so many souls worldwide. Then I knew I had sewn a dress for a funeral.
In honour of the Princess of our hearts.
The dress itself appeared a beautiful piece of handwork. It is constructed of two parts, a bodice and a skirt. Most of the dresses I use to sew them this way.
The bodice is made from a piece of artificial clothe, very suitable for the purpose, because it has got the necessary hardness and thickness, corrugated appearance and glossy deep black colour. It was tough for cutting but not that much for the next-coming hand-sewing because this clothe does not unravel, and you can also make the hems by simple candle burning. When you put the wide, tight in the wrists zone sleeves, made from the same clothe for the skirt, and then the curled neck from another shining gray material, the more uneasy part of work, it returns the favour with a beautiful piece of couture art.
The skirt is very easily made from a long length of silken clothe that is pleated in the waist zone and put over a belt to hide the upper hem. The lower one is lined with a band of harder material to make the silhouette.
What left is to decorate the ready costume with suitable black and gray necklace beads. All is up to your imagination.
This is an edited version of the original article from 2010. Read the story of my dream doll and follow up for more doll costume stories from the series:
