The Battle of the Beads and The Burden of the Bodice

I know, I know... I said I would update more often and I haven't. That's not to say we haven't been busy! I knew as soon as I said I thought the final dress would go faster I would be forced to eat my words, with a side of bugle beads.

After my last post we quickly realized that we had to take off ALL kinds of beads around the edges of every piece of lace to be sure we would be able to sew all of the seams. I've already broken several needles and had NO clue how long it would take to pull off all of those beads! Not to mention after I sewed the three front pieces of the skirt together I realized that I was going to have to go back and spend even more time tacking down all of the beads connected to threads we cut around pattern pieces, or ones that were connected down the line somewhere. I'm still finding more spots everyday that need tacking on pieces I have worked on for hours already! But I just can't bring myself to say "forget it, they'll fall off anyway." I certainly don't want to look like Grettle leaving a trail of beads so I can find my way back the aisle! Not to mention, I can't be responsible if Charlie's Nana slips on a bugle bead. No way.

This was actually taken a while ago. There are a LOT more now!

Teddy REALLY wanted to help! But instead he ate my thread
and got wrapped up in it!

What's left over.

It seemed like I spent eons pulling off beads and tacking them down, and chasing them all over Mom's house... and actually, it was 3 weeks. Poor Sandy will be looking at these dang sequins until we move her to Shady Pines! Seriously...they're in the bathroom. But, after pulling off all the beads I FINALLY feel like we're getting somewhere!! The entire skirt, excluding the bottom of one center back piece of lace and the lace waterfall insert, have been cut. I've sewn together 3/4 of the skirt too. Mom wanted to be done by Labor Day, but that's clearly not going to happen because we hit another speed bump.........

cutting

Top half of one of the center back pieces.

lace and silk scraps

The problem was that the bodice really just didn't fit. The corset I got was poking out, and it really just didn't look very nice anyway. 

See?

Yikes!! Can't have that!!

So I did it again.

And again.

And again,

Bodice graveyard.

aaaannnnnndddddd...

 VICTORY!!! The bodice will NOT win!!!

IT FITS!!!!

Pre-eyelash trim.

Finally I got it right!!! Then I ordered the eyelash trim and it came in and I started putting it  on the bodice. I almost finished the entire bodice on Sunday!

calculating eyelash.

Appropriate? Yes.