Colleen's Column

I'm really excited!!!!  This is my first fashion show, and it will just be my designs/creations.  It's hopefully going to be a big success. Place:  St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Wayne, MI Time:  After 2nd Mass So far the girls from the Sodality are interested in being models, so once I get there we'll have to pass around the dresses and outfits and see who can where what.  I've already got a list of everything I need to bring - quite a lot!  Nine outfits total - and a bunch of paraphernalia:  Flyers, display board, a stool in case a dress is too long for a model...etc.  Sounds like fun! The theme is Spring and Summer outfits, so I have a mix:  Blouses and skirts, a few lightweight dresses, and a couple more formal items.

Meet Angela, the first wedding gown in my collection!  I'm also posting the design sketch, so you can see how designs go from paper to fabric. Dress:  $770 Veil:  $50 (including small tiara) This rather simple gown is made of heavyweight satin and is embellished with pearl and glass beads and ribbon flowers.  It has a square neckline, elbow-length sleeves, and a chapel-length train that bustles up under the swagged overskirt.  There is some crinoline in the skirt, but there is plenty of room for an additional slip if a more ballroom look is desired. Unless the bride asks otherwise, I line my formal gowns in a polyester/cotton blend to ensure comfort.  Sticky, sweaty acetate linings are one of my pet peeves!  The soft cotton lets your skin breathe and feels cooler longer for optimal comfort.  A technological advance that I've been appreciating recently is the advent of washable satins.  I use them as much as possible to reduce stress for my brides - if the dress gets a s

This blog serves two purposes - I am a mainly self-taught fashion designer committed to modest, conservative fashions, and I would like to get to know you.  Second, it can be scary communicating with business people you do not know online, so I would like to be up here where you can see me and ask questions about my services, my designs, my ideas. Clothing today is mostly so sickening, revealing, and poorly made that I decided someone needed to do something about it.  My Mom taught me how to sew with a machine when I was nine, and I've worked my way up since then - I've made two wedding dresses to date. I offer a custom dressmaking service in the following areas:  Bridal gowns Women's formalwear Costumes (period and fantasy) Casual (long skirts, modest blouses) Part of the problem with clothing today, especially bridal wear, is that it it not modest at all.  It seems the idea is to flaunt young women as much as possible, and I do not agree with that at all.  These are