Icing the Cupcake

[kambriel]

I just completed an outfit for Jillian to wear to the Vampire Ball in Portland, Oregon. To say she loves her pink wardrobe accents (and stripes, and bats, and whimsical scrolls) is a vast understatement, so of course I wanted to incorporate these as much as possible into her customized Cabaret Bustle Jacket (made from that lovely velvet flocked material I posted a while back) and the spiderweb embroidered Scylla Skirt she'll be wearing with it. So what does this translate into beyond trimming it in pink ribbons and hand-cut lace?

I decided the black/ivory stripes of the fabric alone just would not do for our dear Cupcake, so I took it upon myself to add rows of *pink* decorative stitching outlining both sides of each and every black stripe, for the full length of every piece of the jacket! Did this take a while? Did I feel like I've driven for hours on a road where you can't waver even 1/8 of an inch? Did thread run out in very inconvenient places? Did my sewing machine try it's hardest to stage a coup? Oh yes... And you know, the majority of people may either not notice such a subtle detail, or just assume the fabric came that way, but the important thing is Jilli will know and truly feel it's *hers*. :)

Here you can see a close-up of the edge stitching:


The front and back lower edges of the jacket are done in a stylized batwing design:


On this one, if you look to the far right, you can catch a glimpse of how I embellished the decorative spiderweb embroidery on the front of her skirt with tiny organza flowers:

Comments

[the-magdalene.livejournal.com]

That's beautiful! (and I'm not usually a fan of pink)

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

That's an extra nice compliment then! Maybe it would help to think of it as a very pale red ;)

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

::faints dead away::

::awakens and makes giddy squeaky noises::

It's GORGEOUS. I ... I ... nope, I have no words. Just inarticulate sounds of glee. Thank you so much for all the work you put into it!

[theblackdeer.livejournal.com]

You must post MANY MANY MANY photos of you in this outfit, oh yes...

[theblackdeer.livejournal.com]

OH MAH GAWD!

[keeperoflegends.livejournal.com]

I agree with Cupcake, it's adorable. You are going to look and feel fabulous in it.

[e-juliana.livejournal.com]

Here from cupcake_goth, and oh, that's stunning. A true piece of art.

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

I bet you'd have been able to guess it was for her anyway right? :)

[aesthete.livejournal.com]

Oh, the amount of work you must have put into all those rows of stitching is just staggering!

What a lovely job!

And I can proudly declare that I will get to see it on her in person at the VMB!

Hooray!

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

It was a bit crazy, but I truly enjoyed doing it ~ it was just a tad depressing at first thinking that detail might not even be visible from any distance, but figured if Jilli at least was able to see and enjoy it, that's what was most important :)

And I'm not-so-secretly hoping to be able to make it to the ball next year ~ *fingers crossed*!

[ashbet]

OMG, Kambriel, you are a GENIUS. Not that I didn't know this already, but . . . EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! What a lovingly-made work of art, and a perfect tribute to Jilli's personal style!

-- A ^_^

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

A lot of love definitely went into it ~ I'm happy you could tell!

[shinysayyadina.livejournal.com]

This is dazzling. Oh, much love!

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

Thanks Jessica!

[diannadinoble.livejournal.com]

Oh my, that's absolutely gorgeous!! The detail is amazing!

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

I started doing the stitching and wondered what I had gotten myself into (at least I had some forethought, and started out by "just" doing one side of each stripe), but after doing the first half decided I'd be all or nothing and go for it!

[victorianrose23.livejournal.com]

OMG love, that is GORGEOUS!!!!!!!! Gets my creative beading juices flowing. I think I may have to make something to compliment it just because *grin*

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

I'd love to see what kind of "ode in beadwork" you could create!

[naeelah.livejournal.com]

Aww, that's fabulous! And very cupcakey! I just adore the Scylla skirt, and they're fantastic together. If you swapped out the pink for a variety of reds, it'd be the perfect 'me' outfit as well. ;)

I really do love that jacket in that material. I assume it's all used by now, but if not, I just might have to buy myself a birthday present. I had it slotted into my budget a couple of months ago, but I decided at the last minute that I'd better apply the funds towards more everyday useful things. Oh, but I'll miss it every time I see someone wearing it.

Can't wait to see pics of Jilli wearing it. ^_^

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

If you swapped out the pink for a variety of reds, it'd be the perfect 'me' outfit...

Ah, you'd love the skirt I made for Kara of Reliquary (http://www.reliquary.org) then! I'll have to post pictures of her sometime soon :)

Yes, I could still make a jacket from this material for you, but are you ~really~ going to want me to outline all the stripes in red? ;) If you're interested though, perhaps I could add some red accents to the skirt and/or jacket... Just so you know this fabric is quite a bit denser weave than the cotton version, so it's not going to be so much of a Summertime piece, but would make an excellent jacket :)

[acid-poptart.livejournal.com]

Quite lovely indeed! Amazing detail!

*total love*

Okay, I'm partial to stripes as you well know.

I think it's time to post something more... upbeat in my journal as well.

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

But you're cool with the fact that your Voodoo dress didn't have outlined stripes right? ;)

[suetekh.livejournal.com]

oh she's going to look amazing in that!!!

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to seeing how she accessorizes it, and tried to keep the inner neckline free just for that purpose :)

[colombenoire.livejournal.com]

WOW.. that pink ribbon really does look like a border of sugar icing.. that is a beautiful, delicious, ornate confection!

Lovely, incomparable! And it's true -- this outfit could be no one else's. I hope I catch a glimpse of cupcake_goth wearing it at the Ball!

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

Oh, I can't imagine *not* spotting cupcake_goth ;)

Confection indeed! That is especially how it felt when I was sewing all the little flowers to the front of the skirt.

I would definitely love to come next year ~ we'll do what we can to make that happen!

[devikat.livejournal.com]

OOooooh! Flippin' gorgeous!!!

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

Stunning

[dethinwntr.livejournal.com]

That dress is just beautiful. Well done, I can't wait to see more.

Re: Stunning

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm hoping there will be some nice photos of Jilli wearing it at the ball :)

[deathling.livejournal.com]

Oh wow..just like..a cupcake!

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

That's the idea! :)

[veil.livejournal.com]

What a beautiful creation!!! It's absolutely lovely :) :)

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

Thanks dear ~ and I haven't forgotten about your skirt either ;)

[jola.livejournal.com]

Jeebus that must have taken you forever! It's fabulously frothy - quite worthy of "her pinkness" :)

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

I *wanted* to make sure it was worthy of 'her pinkness', so I'm glad you think it is!

[dark-phoenix54.livejournal.com]

that is the most fabulous dress! The detail you've put into it is incredible, and I feel your pain about the sewing machine!

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

I could just feel the sewing maching thinking, "Oh no, it's her again ~ some slow sewer who likes to straight stitch, please come save me!".

[secrets-n-lies.livejournal.com]

that is absolutely *drool*worthy!

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

[queeniex.livejournal.com]

omg.want.

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

Just ~please~ don't ask me to outline the stripes... ;)

[theda-bara.livejournal.com]

*hyperventilates*
that is just...stunning to say the least!

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

*hyperventilates*

Hmmm, now I'm thinking Jillian needs a tufted pink velvet fainting couch to lounge upon when she has photos done...

And thank you for the compliment!

[crowhen.livejournal.com]

I am engaged and having a dickens of a time figuring out what to wear on the "big day." I'm adamantly against foo-foo puffy white dresses.

This I would like! Tell me, do you have a bridal line?

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

What a lovely thing for you to say!

I don't have a seperate bridal line in particular, but many of my designs work very well for weddings. You can see some of the options here: http://www.kambriel.com/womengowns.html

For the skirt, there is a selection including the Scylla Bustle Skirt shown above on my website: http://www.kambriel.com/womenskirts.html

[icprncs.livejournal.com]

Oh, that is so very, very her. Wonderful work!

I'm still hoping for the day I will be able to ask you to make something beautiful for me. This just reinforces that hope.

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

that is so very, very her

That's exactly what I was aiming for, thank you!

I've had a few projects for friends lately, and it's been so special having a chance to try and conjure up their personalities, making it part of the design :) Someday I'd love to be able to do such a thing for you!