Working On It...

[magkelly]

There's this designer outfit called The Blonds (Phillipe and David Blond) that does a lot of show work, really neat bustiers and stuff. One of their latest pieces was a bustier with large rainbow Swarovsky gems and tons of smaller beads and crystals on it. I'd love to have it for me, but the cost of the crystals would put me into bankruptcy court so I decided that my 16" girls deserve a real crystal bustier worthy of a Sybarite. It will likely take me a month to finish them, all the little crystals have to be hand sewn, and I'm doing two actually, one in rainbow and the other in pearly pink, but when I am done they will look something like this.



I can't get just that one pic to show on their site, and it's all over the internet otherwise so I don't think they mind people showing off their work by using their runway photos. It's also shown in a Selena Gomez video called Love You Like Love Song Baby but looks totally different on her. Much less matronly than with the black skirt.

This is their site. There's this long promo but you can skip it if you like. The rainbow bustier was in the Ladies and Gentleman collection as I recall, but go have a look at their other work. It's really interesting. I first saw one of their pieces on Adam Lambert. His famous spike leather jacket is one of their pieces. That's a bit too weird for me, but every corset they make almost I'd kill to have for my dolls. I might be making quite a few of these in this style anyhow.They totally inspired me. Oh, and one of their pics has a model walking with a case that has duplicate Barbies in the very same clothes, too cute...

http://www.theblondsnewyork.com/

I got the crystals today at Micheal's and I am starting one of them tonight.

[Llwynog]

Love the idea. It's to over the top.

[Sorean]

That piece is awesome. I love all the colors and--shiny! I'm curious to see how your project will turn out, very cool idea~

[magkelly]

I couldn't resist. I love Swarovsky and I've always wanted to do some outrageous thing with crystals for my larger dolls. I can't afford a Sybarite but I love the couture look. I have a couple of 16" dolls that would look amazing in something like this. I might make one for one of my collector's Barbies too. But first I want a 16" sized version. Next best thing to me having one is making one for one of those, lol.

[magkelly]

I'm about 3/4 done with the ultra pink version. I've done most of the major work now, just have to do the bits of glass or whatever on the sides. I think I am going to do more sequins and glass there, just further apart maybe. But the main part of the bodice with the larger Swarovsky crystals, sequins and tons of tiny glass beads that's done. It's done in a hot pink suede, with the embellishments in a couple of shades of pink with some silver too. For now I did a matching longer skirt sort of like the one black above in the same hot pink as the top but I also want to make a shorter pink skirt like a punk tutu, with white, silver, light pink and the hot pink.

The doll I am thinking of putting this one on is that Alexander Rising Star Jadde Lee that I just got myself for an early Christmas present. (That's one of my $20 something dollar girls who once retailed at like $150 that I was eying for almost a year.) She's already got some silver knee boots on and either way I think she's going to rock this outfit when it's finished. When I make the black one that one can go on Travel With Style Alex. They'll make a lovely pair. I put them in different outfits for now. I put their original clothes away until after the holidays so I can decide if I want to keep them or not. I probably will I think. I really like both outfits a lot and it's not often that I decide I do want to keep outfits like this.

Anyway I've got to get back to prep for tomorrow. I'm up because I am setting up cooking for tomorrow if you can believe it. I should have had all this done earlier but I got to sewing on the corset and I lost track of time. The nest thing I knew it was nearly midnight and I was behind by 3 hours on my prep work. Oops. Most of it's done now though, bird is ready, so are most of the sides. Pie is out in 10 and after that I can sleep for a while.

[magkelly]

Near 2 whole boxes of tiny seed beads, 1 box of silver sequins, 9 large crystals, 1/16 yard of pink suede and 12 hours (Oww!) that's how long it took to make the pink version of one of these. My neck is just killing me! My hands are killing me, but it was worth it, grin. I don't like the skirt I made with it though. Too long, too, matronly so tomorrow I am going to raid my doll clothes box and see if have something short and sassy that will do for now until I can get the materials I need to finish doing the skirt I really want to do for this. I don't have the type of sheer hot pink net I'd need. I'll have to hit JoAnn's this week I guess. Pics tomorrow once I get Jadde all the way dressed up. The corset top looks just fabulous on her so far though. I can't wait to show you!!!!

[Lamia of the Dark]

I want so see the pics!!! >_<

[EAB]

PICS! PICS! PICS!
This sounds tooo gorgeous.

[magkelly]

Pics soon. Sorry my never ending sinus upper resp infection that I think I've had since last March flared back up and I've just not been up to much other than a little typing. It's kind of hard to take good pics when your hands are shaking and you're sneezing several times a minute. I got this stupid thing back in March when I went on a plane trip. Some woman was flying with what I think was some kind pf plague and I got it bad. I haven't been completely over it since. It's like I have this eternal head cold or a bad sinus infection. I've been to the doctor several times gotten allergy medications, antibiotics, you name it and I've done it, but I still have this sinus thing from it that just will not go away. Plus it is allergy season for me. Most people get it in Spring? Well, I get it a bit then too, but I actually get hay fever more in the Fall and early winter. I'm on allergy pills twice a day but that only takes the edge off it a bit.

[magkelly]

I just took this tonight as a quickie pic. I didn't bother to set up the tent. I probably will tomorrow though because I'd really like to take some pics that do this thing justice. I'm still working on the black one. The doll is a Jadde Lee doll. She's by Madame Alexander.

I had a tough time getting it to look somewhat like it actually looks in person. I'm going to have to retry this with a light tent soon. Swarovsky AB crystals apparently tend to photograph every color except what they actually look like unless you really know what you're doing with them? These are actually very light crystals and I couldn't get the color even close until I adjusted her to stand waist twisted just a bit with one shoulder slightly back.

The corset is actually not cut that way in front. It fits like it's supposed to, with a gentle curve going gradually up towards the straps, no slant to one side, but I'll be darned if I could get an accurate shot of those crystals with it sitting on her the right way, with her arms down and her waist facing just to the front. They came out almost magenta every darned time. I think when you're looking at them straight they just pick up too much of the hot pink suede I made the corset with maybe?

Anyway this is just so you can see. I'll probably get something better with the tent but it's too late to haul all that out...