Catching Up!

Well, it's been a while since I've written anything, but I've been working hard on a few upcoming weddings.  Pictures and more details will follow.....

In the mean time, I've been remodeling the bg designs headquarters (yes, the old guest room).  I'm quite pleased with the progress and I promise to post photographs very soon.  I still have some finishing touches to add, and I can't wait to share.

I also recently finished a homecoming dress for a beautiful young lady, who is enjoying her festivities as I write this.  Her mom graciously sent me some preliminary photos, so I will share one of my favorites, and yes, there will be more to follow:)  It was a fun dress to make - and I know that Margaret will wear it again!  She looked amazing it it.  We had such fun sketching the design, shopping for fabric and dreaming of what it would look like.  I love my job!

Chelsea's Wedding

July 2 was a busy day for weddings!  Chelsea and Alex were married in Malibu, California.  It was such fun to work with this bride and her family.  We created the bride's veil, going away hat and crinoline to wear with her grandmother's wedding dress, the mother-of-the-bride gown, flower girl dresses, and ring bearer neck ties, and the rehearsal dinner gown.  The wedding was "magazine worthy"!  I can't wait to see all of the photos, but I'm sharing a few with you now.

It's amazing to me how God has orchestrated my little business venture......I took a leap of faith to fulfill my lifelong dream and He has had His hand all over it!!! (Did I expect anything less?)  I am continually amazed at the people that I have had "divine appointments" with.  God scheduled them for me before I was born!  The Espegren family is nothing less than that! I am so blessed that God placed me in their path to be a part of this sweet marriage.  I love my job and am thankful everyday that I get to use the gifts that God has given to me!  I continue to trust Him in everything!  I'm reminded of Matthew 6:25-34 which Jesus talks to us about worry.  "And why do you worry about clothes?  See how the lilies of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all of his splendor was dressed like one of these." (v.28,29)  God cares about every detail of our lives (yes, even what we wear on our wedding day), so think of how much He cares about us.....awesome!

Laine and Justin's wedding

What a joy to see the work of your hands fulfill it's purpose!  Today Laine Echols became the wife of Justin Hixson.  It was a beautiful, simple ceremony, filled with family and friends.  It was such an honor to be part of this sweet couple's wedding, and to have such a special job to do for Laine.  Getting to know her through creating her wedding gown was such fun, and just being able to be around her family was amazing.  Her mom, Donna, is a dear friend who has raised four amazing young women.  I hope Laine is just the first of the four that I get to design gowns for!!!

It was fun to put special touches in Laine's gown.  We used pieces of her mom's dress to make a rosette on the inside of her gown's lining.  Donna brought me a bonnet that was a baby gift when Laine was born that we embroidered her new monogram and wedding date on and stitched it into the dress.  Each detail was thought out and reviewed and agreed upon by us all.  It was truly a team effort!

The dress was made of off white silk dupioni with a rusched bodice accented at the empire waist with ribbon and crystal detail, embellished with a crystal broach in the center front.  The skirt was overlaid with silk tulle with hand applied lace motifs, encrusted with pearls and crystals.  The double layer veil featured hand applied Swarovski crystals, extending beyond the train of the gown.

The wedding took place in a beautiful venue, surrounded by trees and green.  It was like being in an outdoor chapel, only cooler!!!  My wish is that Laine and Justin live a long and happy life together!  May God bless their marriage and their home.  Laine, it was an honor!  Love you!!!!

And they lived........

happily ever after!

Tessa's Week

What a fun week we have had since Tessa has been here!  Saturday we began the process of making this wedding gown - just for fun.  Tess is 18 and is not getting married (not until she's about 30, I think), but I wanted to use her for a fit model to make a gown just for fun.  So after the style of the gown was decided on, Monday morning I put scissors to fabric and began the creation.  The first fitting was Monday afternoon and I finished it this morning!!!  I think this may be a record....it's a simple dress, but timeless in style.  The belt is removable, so you could put a sash with a bow, or a belt with different embellishments to change the look.  At a later date I have plans to make a lace shrug to wear with this dress for another alternative.

Every gown is not this quick to make, but I had a limited amount of time to get this one finished while my model was here.  I know her parents are so proud of the beautiful young woman she is (as am I), but I'm sure that when they see this post, they may shed a tear.  I got a little choked up myself.   I promised Tess that I would make her the dress of her dreams once she has graduated from college and has found the man of her dreams.  Dream big, Tess!  I love you!!!!!

Fitting Number Two!

Here is fit number two.  I still have to add all of the structure to the gown, but you can see that it's starting to take shape.  Yes, the Dallas Maverics are playing basketball in the background - a replay of last week's games - just had to watch again:)

So, I have some work to do today, including finishing the sewing for two July 2 weddings.  I can't wait to share the photos from those two weddings.  It's such a joy to work with these sweet brides and their families.  God has blessed me with the most incredible job ever!!!!! To God be the glory!

Tessa's Week

This week my niece Tessa has come to The Woodlands to stay with me.  We have done all of the fun things there are to do in The Woodlands......shop, go to the pool, shop, movies, shop, spa day, shop....oh, did I mention we were going shopping?  (I'm really not that materialistic, but I do love to shop).

While Tess is here, I am using her as a fit model to make a wedding gown, just for the fun of it.  I wanted to include the process on my blog, just so the reader knows what goes into a custom wedding gown.  It's a fun process, and I wish I could have every bride move in with me while her gown is being made, so I could do a fitting anytime I pleased.  It makes the process go so much faster.

The first meeting is a brainstorming session.  If I know the bride, I tend to know what style she gravitates to.  We share pictures of gowns and information about the wedding itself.  I will take the necessary measurements and formulate a preliminary design.  Then the fun begins!

The next step is to shop for fabric.  Depending on the design of the gown,  this could be a one-trip experience, or possibly take two or more trips to the fabric shop to make the final selections.  When lace is involved, it takes longer.  Once the fabric is determined, the next step is the fit muslin.  I craft the gown out of muslin fabric (like a sheet) to get the perfect fit.  This can take one to two fittings, depending on any adjustments that may be necessary.  Since Tess was here and I had fabric already, we skipped the muslin fitting and went straight to the fabric.  The gown is simple and the muslin step just wasn't necessary.  We first tried the bodice of the gown to get the perfect fit (see photo).

From here, we added the skirt and did fitting number two.  This process took one day.  (Remember, Tess is in the house with me all day - much faster).

 Today will be putting the zipper in and building the undergarment.  I should finish this gown today or tomorrow.  The embellishment is actually a separate belt that is only pinned together in the photo, just to get an idea of the finished product.

More photos from the past!

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:  If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!  Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.  But how can one keep warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.  A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12