PROM: Adding Tulle Straps and a Circular Ruffle Hem

These cute kids!!!  Do you recognize him?

If you have not been following yet, I had one group of girls that were all going to Prom together with their dates and they all asked me to do their alterations!  Lucky me, seriously!

She came to me with needs for a hem and a full strap addition.  And the ribbon was not laying very nicely or very secure at the waist.  

Isn't it such a cute dress?   

The skirt is full of vertical rows of tulle circular ruffles.  I love these!!!

The hem needed to come up 3".  Tulle does not need sewing so I just cut it off at 3".  (The lining was hemmed shorter at  3" also - just a regular double hem.) But what about the end of the ruffles at the bottom of the hem?  The original hem is curved and finished nice but when I cut it off, it goes all straight and looks unfinished...

I needed to move the ruffle curve down and cut off the point so that it was flush to the new hemline.  

Here it is cut off like I said above.

Now I cut the curve round again, tapering at the new hemline.

Now those seams where the ruffles are attached have to be reinforced, because when the new hemline was cut, the backstitching was cut off that held it secure.

Here is the new hem, all pretty and perfect again!

Now on to the straps.  Her mom brought me black tulle as I requested her, and I fashioned them into straps.  These were basically tubes of tulle pieces long enough to fit over her shoulders from front to back bodice, and very wide!  So I could gather the ends in really tight to fit in their places right above the bust.  (Sorry no pics of this - hopefully your imagination can picture them for you).

We fit everything just right and pins held everything in place until I could secure it properly inside the lining.  

Closeup of the strap placement.  And the ribbon looks much better, as you can see.  Nothing too good for prom.  ;)

Now, we had to try it on with the shoes.  She had these darling shoes with a large ruffly bow on them that we did not want to catch in the hem.  So this length is perfect!

And it's even great without shoes - should she want to kick them off and dance!  It's a Hem Miracle!

Finished views of the new straps  - front and back.  

Final try on and pickup!  

I love this new addition and she looks so pretty in it!  See that stitch across the shoulder?  That is to hold all that unruly tulle in place so it does not flop down over her arms.  

Beautiful from all angles!

Ok, after pickup, she wanted to make one more teensy alteration:  just make the straps a little bit narrower, please!  You bet - and it looks very delicate now against her neck area.  

Prom pictures outside!  Good times in a great dress!

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