Alanna

This is my friend Alanna. I gave her a competition piece I made a couple of years ago and she honored me by wearing it recently to a concert. I helped her get dressed for the affair and it was so wonderful to be able to do this.


She wore the vest over a long straight black velvet skirt which was so very elegant. She was stunning.


Alanna has long hair which she tied up. She took a bridal crown and painted it black to go with the base outfit. I took off the comb and re-bent the wire so that it would sit properly on her. Then I re-attached a new comb so it would nest better on her head. I find that most crowns never fit the average head and always have to be re-fit. This one was truly beautiful on her.


I did a lot of detail work on this kimono vest. The actual pattern was rather Japanese-traditional. I did a lot of Sashiko stitching, beading, and wound a lot of bias tape around all of that work. On the front band I applied bias piping I made which I knotted at different lengths and then hand-stitched coiling around itself.



The whole back is beaded, dripping from tree branches that I created in gold threads.



When I gave this piece to Alanna I wasn't sure she would wear it. I knew she loved to go to concerts, and the theatre. I was hoping she would wear it to such events. And she did. I am so happy about this. She made me proud.