Hello.
I need some "Major" help.
I am going to be on my way to Preliminary Championship soon and I need some help with making my Dress have more of a "Bling" factor and really bring out the simple but pretty embroidery.
Their is some Pictures listed above.
I really don't want any crystals on the skirt of the Dress as that is my favorite part and I don't want to put any on there.
These are Pictures of when I just got the Dress.
Now I have Crystals on the Neckline and the "V" before the Skirt.
And one Crystal in the middle of each ribbon.
Any suggestions would be wonderful.
And I was thinking how about "colored" crystals??
And on the Sleeves they are zig-zag at the end and I have a crystal in the middle and point of the zig-zag.
Sorry if I sound confusing but I hope you understand and Thank You for your help.

congratulations on moving to prelims! I would add a row or two (or 3) circling your neckline. You can spread them out and make a pattern to fill the space, sort of like: ^.^.^.^. around the collar, hope that makes sense.

With the purple, it might look nice if you use AB crystals to add a bit of color to the crystals. You can also put crystals down the entire front of the dress filling each white shape. I think that would look great and really bling it up. Good luck.

I think you should do some crystals around the neckline. I think It would add a lot to the dress with out over doing it or taking away from the dress! Defiantly consider it

I drew up an idea that you might like. Let me explain it a little bit.


On the Bodice- Outline the "ribbons" (Thats what they look like to me, support ribbons. Very pretty!) with small clear or AB crystals (I think AB would look stunning with the purple!), maybe a 20ss size, small, but not too small. Towards the top, and at the "corner" where the "ribbon" folds, I would use a larger crystal, maybe 40ss. In the center, I would find a nice dark purple crystal (AB if your using AB, clear if you're using clear) like the one in the 4th and 5th photo. Get a slightly larger size in comparison to the size your using around the edge of the ribbon, so if you're using 20ss (like i said above), then maybe get a 30ss for the larger "purple dot" and then small, like 16ss for the smaller "purple dots" on each end.

The neckline, the dots look spaced, but you want to fill it in as much as possible i think to get that popular and wonderful "necklace" look. As for the second row (closest to the embroidery) you want to space them out just a little, and have the fill in the small area between two crystals from the row above. Same thing for the waist line of the skirt, fill it in with one row of crystals.

The skirt, I wouldn't use pink crystals, I would use normal crystals just to make it shine a little. Just scatter them out, just so the crystals pick up the light when you dance

Let me know what you think! Hope this helped!

I have found some of the best ideas by just looking at all the for sale dresses, and seeing what designs/layouts are used.

Also, it is best, if you are unsure of a design, to lay it out on the dress, and stand on a chair to get a slightly farther-back perspective. If you're still unsure, leave the crystals on the dress, and come back in an hour (or a day) and look at it again. Sometimes just laying the crystals out gets my brain thinking, and I'll have an idea out of the blue ('cause of course my brain is working on it in the background, whilst I'm doing more mundane things like laundry or driving to work).

You can always add some now, and add more later, as ideas come to you.

Best of luck!

Kris

Thank You so much.
I really do like the Idea,
I should have put a Picture of it "Now" instead of when I first got it.
I will try to ASAP but the Crystals I have now is in the "V" towards the Skirt, one row of AB Swarovski Crystals around the Neckline, one Swarovski AB Crystal in the middle of each ribbon, and Ab Swarovski Crystals in the Middle of each zig-zag on the sleeve cuff and on the point of the zig-zag to make everything clear.
But sadly the Purple in the middle wouldn't work.
And Yes they are "Cancer" ribbons.
Some Dancers at Feis thought they were Fish.
I got a bit offended but it's ok.
The Dress is in memory of my Grandma who died from Pancreatic Cancer five years ago.
She never got to see me dance so when I wear it it feels like she is right there.
Thank You so much and keep coming with the suggestions.

saoirse3473 wrote:

I drew up an idea that you might like. Let me explain it a little bit.


On the Bodice- Outline the "ribbons" (Thats what they look like to me, support ribbons. Very pretty!) with small clear or AB crystals (I think AB would look stunning with the purple!), maybe a 20ss size, small, but not too small. Towards the top, and at the "corner" where the "ribbon" folds, I would use a larger crystal, maybe 40ss. In the center, I would find a nice dark purple crystal (AB if your using AB, clear if you're using clear) like the one in the 4th and 5th photo. Get a slightly larger size in comparison to the size your using around the edge of the ribbon, so if you're using 20ss (like i said above), then maybe get a 30ss for the larger "purple dot" and then small, like 16ss for the smaller "purple dots" on each end.

The neckline, the dots look spaced, but you want to fill it in as much as possible i think to get that popular and wonderful "necklace" look. As for the second row (closest to the embroidery) you want to space them out just a little, and have the fill in the small area between two crystals from the row above. Same thing for the waist line of the skirt, fill it in with one row of crystals.

The skirt, I wouldn't use pink crystals, I would use normal crystals just to make it shine a little. Just scatter them out, just so the crystals pick up the light when you dance

Let me know what you think! Hope this helped!

IrishDancer320 wrote:


And Yes they are "Cancer" ribbons.
Some Dancers at Feis thought they were Fish.
I got a bit offended but it's ok.
The Dress is in memory of my Grandma who died from Pancreatic Cancer five years ago.
She never got to see me dance so when I wear it it feels like she is right there.
Thank You so much and keep coming with the suggestions.

Thats so sweet! What a wonderful way of remembering her and having her close, I think is easily the most wonderful idea/design i've seen, simply because it's so meaningful!

I LOVE YOUR DESIGHN! I really like it! can't wait to see it when its finished!

I love how this dress has so much sentimental value to you.

Thank You so much everyone.
I think I am going to glue more Crystals around the neckline this weekend!!
And yes it certainly does.
I am going to get a new Dress soon when I finally get into Prelim but my Mom wants to keep this Dress when I get a new one and so do I and she wants to put it into one of those Glass Keepsakes that you put on the Wall for the Dress when I don't wear it anymore.
Or when I get older as I kind of think that would be extremely "Expensive".
Thank You for your suggestions & kind words.

Side topic, but I def think you should get another ribbon on any future dress! I love it!

I knew they were ribbons right off the bat.

Its such a pretty dress unless you have outgrown it I think you can wear it in Prelims even!

Thank You so much.
Everybody is so helpful!!
Really??
I am going to probably wear it for my 1st Prelim Feis whenever that is and then get a "New" Dress for my 1st Oireachtas.
But I will come back to you all for Ideas when I get a New Dress but for now the Crystal Ideas are going to help so much!!!
Thank You.

^ I don't think you need a new dress... LOL!

If you do decide to get a new dress for your first oireachtas, I had an awesome idea as soon as you said they were cancer ribbons. Would be glad to draw it up

You are probably not the only one who thinks I don't need a "New" Dress.
But I really do like the cancer ribbon scheme but I want to be more daring and go with peacock feather embroidery on my next dress.
I will need loads of opinions if I dare to have my Dress like that but if dancingthrulife1 can sketch a Design of what you had in mind that would be "Wonderful".
Thanks!

Just wanted to drop in and tell you the sketch is in the works. Now that midterms are done I actually have the time to do it

Yay!!!
Thank You so much!!
I really appreciate it.

Sooo heree it is!

Some explanations of how this shows up in my head: The main colors would be a dark purple, neon green or yellow, and a light to medium blueish-purple.

The skirt below the big ribbon would be dark purple, some kind of textured fabric or velvet. Above the ribbon would be dark purple with stones or sequins. Me being me, I drew all the stones first without thinking of what color it would be, so I didn't shade that part in at first. I'm now in the process of fixing it because it was bugging me, so I can post that when i'm done if you'd like. All of the little polka dot things are stones or sequins. I have them decreasing in size coming away from the big ribbon, and I thought it looked really cool.

The ribbon itself would be the blueish purple with the neon around it. top right part of the bodice with all of the ribbons would be neon with the ribbons in blueish purple. I've seen dresses (One Michelle Lewis one in particular) with magenta alongside a color like that in embroidery and it looks lovely, so maybe that, too. Idk. I can't sew, unfortunately.

And lastly, the ruffles of the skirt would be the blueish purple over the dark purple again, and then the neon as an underskirt.

No pressure of course- I love doing stuff like this, and will not be offended in the least if you don't get the dress. And the color scheme is just to give you an idea. One thing I find helpful in visualizing stuff, is find a pictures of someone already a dress, preferably a simple one, and place all the elements of the design you have in your head on the dress, one by one. It's completely different than looking at a sketch.

Anyway, hope you like it! Open for critiques and comments.

Oh my goodness!!!
I simply love it!!
Thank You so much for your time and effort for making that!!
I truly do appreciate it.
I will 100% for sure take this Design into consideration for a "New" Dress.
I was wondering, since you are amazing at Dress Designs more then me would you be able to make a Design for me with a Peacock Feather influence??
I am thinking the Bodice Dark Purple Sequins and then Peacock embroidery throughout the dress.
If you can do that I would be so thankful because I am either going to stick with the ribbon except in a different way like above or Peacock.
It would mean loads!!
Thank You so much again!!
You are the most wonderful dress designer ever!

Thanks, I'm so glad you like it.

I was actually thinking about doing a peacock dress anyways, but it'll be a week or two because I'm working on some stuff for people at school right now. But I'd love to do it- this is the fun stuff.

Just let me know + post a pic if you end up getting either of them made

Swarovsky makes a crystal colour, called "black diamond" it is beautiful and subtle on a black background. you can sprinkle them on and they twinkle rather than flash.
They would be available from Fire Mountain Gems, or Rio Grande Jewelry Supply, both US companies. Rio can get them to you in 24 hours.

Swarovsky makes a crystal colour, called "black diamond" it is beautiful and subtle on a black background. you can sprinkle them on and they twinkle rather than flash.
They would be available from Fire Mountain Gems, or Rio Grande Jewelry Supply, both US companies. Rio can get them to you in 24 hours.

Colored in, for fun

Oh my goodness!!
I can not believe you can do a Peacock one for me!!
Thank You so much and no rush!!
Oh and can the Skirt be kind of like Brogan's Skirt at the All Scotland's??
Her latest Dress.
I really like the pleated/plisse fabric skirts.
Thanks a millions!!
And Thank You for the Crystal help everybody!