I promised to show you Sharon’s gorgeous 18 Inch American Girl Doll Clothes Wedding Dress and here it is!
This is the first wedding dress that Sharon has ever made and she certainly made it a dress to remember. Sharon used my 18 inch and American Girl Wedding Dress pattern with lace sleeves and lace overlay on the bodice. She then designed and made a detachable train and then spent many hours embellishing it all with beads and lace.
This was Sharon’s first attempt at beading and you certainly would never know. Even the veil is adorned with pearl beads!
Sharon explains, ‘The dress was hand beaded by myself it took me about 200 hours to do the dress and the train. The dress and train have over 600 pearl beads. Over 8,000 seed beads and 18 pearl buttons. The hem of the dress sleeves and train were hand beaded with white pearl seed beads and it is done in a braid stitch and all the hems are adorned with fine lace. Most of the dress was hand sew.’
You can’t see it in this photo but the pearl buttons go all the way down the opening at the back. Sharon obviously has an embroidery machine too as she has embroidered the letter ‘L’ for ‘Love’ on the end of the train which gives it a truly romantic and regal feel.
‘I curled the hair myself and then put it up with bobby pins and embellished it with rhinestones and little silk flowers.’
This photo shows Abigail’s fancy ‘updo’, some of the pearl buttons down the back and the gorgeous embellishment at the top of the detachable train.
This beautiful ensemble has been finished off with a sweet bouquet, tiny purse, pearl necklace and bracelet, and a sparling tiara. Abigail must feel like a real princess in this dress.
Sharon tells me, ‘This dress is for competition so I had to make sure it was perfect, it’s going on the circuit starting in August.’
Thank you so much Sharon for sharing all these photos and explaining what has gone into creating this truly spectacular wedding gown. I wish you all the very best with the competition circuit and we would all love to know how you go so please keep us updated.
Happy sewing
Congratulations,Sharon!This dress is a work of art! I hope you are VERY successful in the competition .Do let us know how you do.
Laurainne
Laurainne, Thank you for your well wishes on my competitions. I will not only let you know how I do, I will send pictures of the impending ribbons (God willing) Keep your fingers crossed for me.
Sharon
nice and gorgeous
Thank you Arma. It means alot for compliments from people who know how detailed the work is.
Sharon
Sharon, you have done a wonderful job on your wedding dress, it is absolutely beautiful, and the effort you have put into it is mind blowing. I hope the work you have put into it is appreciated, and you are very successful in the competition.
The very best of luck. Joan
Joan, Thank you so much for your praise. I did put alot of myself into the dress. please keep my in your thoughts on wednesday Sept. 30th as that is the judging day for the first competion. I’ll of course keep you all posted.
Sharon
What a fantastic job you done. You are sure to be a winner.
Thanks Barb!! I don’t know what my competion will be like but keep your fingers crossed for me.
Sharon
Absolutely beautiful work, love it.
Elaine, thank you for acknowledging my labourious work…either you are a beader or a bead enthusiast like myself. You’ll have to stay posted because I am working on another one of Rosie’s patterns…the 50’s vintage dress.
Sharon
It’s beautiful. Congratulations.
Line, don’t congratulate me yet…I’m yet to win…I’m not only hoping for 1st prize, but Grand Champion…the “daddy” of all the 1st prizes combined!
Sharon
Gorgeous gown replica and so much time and love spent, amazing work!
Tari, I see that you have made a gown yourself…it’s beautiful too…thank you for your interest.
Sharon
Beautiful! Can’t wait to hear that this beautiful little wedding dress won!
From one grandma to another…thank you. I will keep you posted on the details of the competition.
Sharon
I certainly hope that whomever finally ends up with this gorgeous creation has a full appreciation for all the work you put into it. It is exquisite and you could very easily get hired by some of the high fashion couture houses for your beautiful work. Good luck in the competition. I truly believe that you deserve first prize and a huge monetary reward of lottery proportions.
Peggy, This happy bride will go to my eldest grandaughter in a few years when she is old enough to understand that she can’t eat the beads….lol. I’m working on a bridesmaid doll who I’ve named Felicity…I’m sure Rosie will keep you all updated when I get started on that project. Thank you for your really touching remarks.
Sharon
This is real craftmanship, absolutely beautiful, wishing you success in the competition.
Thank you Cheryl, your admiration is really appreciated.
Sharon
That dress is beautiful. Any bride, big or small, would be proud to walk down the aisle wearing it.
Janine, I have to admit, I secretly made this dress to fit the dress of my dreams…there’s alot of wishful thinking on my part. Lol.
Sharon
You did a wonderful job on this beautiful wedding dress …
I know whom ever ends up with this dress will love it and appreciate your hard work. … your very talented. … amazing amazing amazing. … good luck
Evelyn, I have to confess…I secretly wish all of my admirers would be my judges…may all your good wishes take me to the winners circle!
Sharon
I think the dress is absolutely beautiful, and the time and effort put in to making it is amazing. Well done Sharon.
Hi Anne, you know it takes a fellow “sewer” to recognize the amount of time it took to sew those T-tiny beads onto that slippery satin…If it hadn’t been for my friend, Maggie, who loaned me her jewelery making magnifying visor I would have needed eye surgery to reverse my crossed eyes…
Sharon
OMG Rosie! That is absolutely beautiful!!!! Sharon, you are alot more brave and talented than I am. Wonderful job!
Hi Melinda, I’m not as talented as I am competitive. When I compete I usually try to blow the competition out of the water. I don’t like to come in 2nd…but occationally I have to conceed my would be 1st ribbon to a deserving competitior…
your friend, Sharon
This is really beautiful and I can tell you have done a ton of detail work! Best of luck with your competition! I hope the wedding dress I make is half as nice as yours!
Hi Deborah, Truth be known, this was my first attempt at beading. I watched a lot of youtube instructional videos and bought myself a water soluable marker, charted out a graph on the satin and sewed each and every bead on connecting lines, then nearly had a heart attack when couldn’t get the ink to disolve off the satin when I finnished beading. (all because I thought I was too cool to do the suggested test patch first) Moral of the story: you’re never too cool to follow instructions…
Sharon
Sharon you have come along way from stretchnsew tee shirts and fabric photo albums to such a beautiful Bride ‘s dress. Your many many hours of hard intense work has produced a beautiful outcome. You are amazing .
Your friend Lynn
Hey Lynn, I remember sewing with you when the kids were playing in their play pens…over 30 years ago. Yes, Iv’e evovled since then…but you had a hand in that too. Thanks for continuing to inspire me.
always…Shari
Congratulations Sharon. The Gown is really gorgeous.
Thanks Carol, I am so touched by everyone’s kind comments, it means so much to me that Rosie shared it with her followers. I hope I spark some creativity in all of you. If I can do it, so can you!!
Sharon
Absolutely stunning!
Thank you Joyce, I’m so glad you liked it.
Sharon