Halloween is my holiday. Every year I rack my brain to think of something to trump previous year’s costumes. This year I just happened to be watching Bram Stocker’s Dracula and remembered how much I loved Lucy’s Bride dress. Especially the head piece. And then it hit me like a lightening bolt! I quickly grabbed a piece of paper and started drawing out the costume in details.
The base of the costume is a white wedding gown. I used a strapless bustled white dress I already had and stitched white appliqués over the existing purple embroidery to cover it. Over the dress is an altar style apron/robe. I made it using an embroidered white taffeta and a Simplicity Jiffy Pattern (7382). The back is floor length white organza with pin tuck pleats and the same embroidered taffeta used along the hem as trim. The leg o’ mutton sleeves are organza lace with fitted zipper closure gauntlets made of the embroidered taffeta (Sleeves were from Wizard of Oz pattern 7808). Using the same embroidered organza trim, I cut out teardrop shaped pieces then stitched them all together to create the separate collar. Each seam is stitched with a plastic bone to give it stability, and a full length zipper in the back. Over the cotton neckline are a couple of ruffled lace appliqués. The headpiece is a bridal buckram headband with satin pleated over the surface, and lace appliqués stitched along the front. The “wings” of the headpiece are pieces of organza stitched together to create a casing for plastic boning, and then cut into “petals”. There are three organza casings total that are stitched directly onto the buckram headband. To cover up the boning on the headband I stitched on white fake flower petals with pearls in the center.
Beautiful, very elegant and scary. Great use of all the different parts. Love the headpiece.
Thank you. It was probably my most labor intensive costume to date. However, I loved paying attention to every single detail. I am a stickler for detail! :)