The Bridgerton Ball
If you’ve ever watched Bridgerton, you’ll understand my excitement when I heard there was an actual Bridgerton Ball hosted by the queen herself. You go dressed up in your finest ball gowns and it’s the experience of a lifetime. The atmosphere is indescribable and it’s one of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had. You literally have to experience it for yourself to understand that what I’m saying is an understatement. It was an incredible experience.
MY INSPIRATION
In the show, the ladies wore the usual dresses that included puffy sleeves, an empire waist, and a length that reached the floor. When choosing a design, I didn’t want to be too literal. I do, however, love an empire waist, as it suits my figure in the most perfect way, so I decided to go with that. Here’s my thought on what I wanted to wear. I wanted my dress to be different (of course). I wanted my dress to have a fun element because that’s who I am as a creator; I make clothes purely out of the enjoyment of the process. I wanted the color to be unexpected. The color I chose isn’t something you would normally see at a ball. I wanted to stand out. The best way to do that is to be my pure self. I knew that the dress I wanted to create wasn’t your usual ball gown, but I wanted to make sure that I stayed true to who I am.
I came across this dress on instagram and immediately fell in love. The silhouette is just stunning. My favorite detail is the unique gathering at the waistline. I’ve never seen anything like it. I loved the rhinestone trim and the bow at the back, but I decided to forego those two things.
MATERIALS
I designed these super fun scissors in collaboration with Fiskars! Every detail of my scissors was intentional. Each color blue stripe represents the three core values of the US Air Force. The yellow, orange and pink stripe represents my transition into my color loving world of entrepreneurship. The colorful spots represents all of you; the amazing group of diverse creators who support and follow my work. You can find them online or at your local Joann Stores.
Medium Weight Interfacing
Mettler Metrosene and Serger Thread
22 inch Zipper
Boning (adds structure to the bodice)
McCalls 8108 (with modifications)
Butterfly + Orange Fabric: 8 yards
When choosing fabric, I wanted something that was going to be different from what I knew everyone was going to wear based on what I saw already on social media. I saw that most people wore a dresses that were a solid color. If I wanted to stand out, I knew a printed fabric was a must have. My first choice in choosing fabric would be Joann online. My favorite is their customization option where you can choose the print, colors, and the fabric type. I ws short on time so I went in-store to view my options. I had plenty of options, but my eye was drawn more toward the orangey print that I chose. The fabric isn’t your typical ball gown option. Nothing about feels expensive or royal, but I didn’t care. I want what I want! The print was more important than texture at this point. (Remember I have a short turn around)
This fabric is part of the artist collection at Joanns. The artist is Brent Carson. I absolutely love his collection. It feels like Summer in the 80’s. It features fruits in a vintage style as well as vintage style gingham prints.
THE DRESS
Can I get a little commotion for the dress? (applause) So fun right?!
To create a more fuller look, I added a petticoat underneath. I love this one becuase it’s inexpensive, light weight, and it does the job perfectly. The weight of the fabric is quite heavy. I was apprehensive about the petticoat being able to hold the weight of the cotton fabric, but it did very well.
Of course I made my husband a matching vest! They include my copper tortoise buttons. McCalls Pattern 6228 was used.
THE BALL
If you ever get the chance to go, I highly recommend. It’s something I’ve never experienced and as a sewist, it’s a great opportunity to sew something extravagance and actually wear it out amongst a crowd just as beautiful as you.
The night was filled with socializing, picture-taking, shopping, drinking, and dancing. We also watched a show that the dancers put together. It was just lovely. I look forward to attending more events like this. It gives me an excuse to create super fun content for you all. LOL!