Amy's Bombshell Dress (My First Dress Commission!)

This August I sewed a very special dress for my husband's friend who will be taking part in a  wedding-like event in Scotland this fall (Ryan keeps asking me: is Amy getting married? There's no ceremony but people are traveling from continents far and wide for the event, so let's just call this a non-traditional wedding dress).

Anyway, Amy liked the Peacock Print Bombshell Dress I made, and wanted something similar. And, an artistic person, she wanted the fabric to be special. So she made her own print, using Photoshop and a photograph she took while vacationing with her boyfriend/fiance/husband in Prague, and had it printed by Spoonflower.com. If you look closely in the print below, you can see clocks. And the repeating pattern nearly looks like plaid, appropriate considering the wedding-like event is at a castle in Scotland. I love it:

The challenge with this dress was the fact that Amy is living in London right now, so there was no opportunity to fit a muslin on her in person. So she bravely commissioned me to make it, and we agreed to fittings via Skype. She gave me her measurements and I made a draft bodice (using the Burdastyle Bustier Dress pattern), which I mailed to her. Then she tried it on and I studied the fit while we had a video chat. 

As we discussed fit issues, my four-year-old snuck off to fashion herself a dress from a plastic bag, and then applied a mustache using purple marker. It was like a twisted "unconventional materials" challenge on Project Runway: Preschool Edition.

Here she is, minus the plastic bag dress WHICH I AM FULLY AWARE IS A HAZARD SO STOP JUDGING:

Anyhow, I lucked out (or I'm a genius?) because the cups of the bustier fit her perfectly. I just had to shift the side seams a bit and add a little ease. I drafted the skirt pattern, which was flared, but not to a full circle. We agreed something simple would look good with the pattern she choose. Here I am, modeling it (unhemmed) for Amy, before the dress made the cross-Atlantic journey:

And here it is, on Amy. (Don't worry. I'm sure she will iron it before the big day!):

Close up of the bust: 

Nice rack, Amy!

The only wrinkle (ha!) was the fact that I forgot to put pockets in the dress, as Amy had requested. It's so easy to do, and yet it slipped my mind. So, the lovely printed dress made its way back to me again, and I cut into the side seams to add pockets. Again, me modeling for Amy's peace of mind: 

I love how the dress turned out and I can't wait to see Amy in it on her big day (and see how she accessorizes it!). It was fun collaborating on this project. Plus, I got to make a gorgeous dress without any of the guilt I feel when I add something new to my closet that I know I won't get any chances to wear!

I would love to hear how she made the print, and maybe I can convince her to drop some knowledge for those of you thinking you might want to try making your own one day (every now and then I like to pretend this blog is a public service).

So have you people ever sewn for someone else? What were the challenges you faced?