WOW......I won!!!

This challenge was about the total look based on the classic Little Black Dress. It was called LBD + One (color). The challenge was to create a cocktail party dress with a contemporary and strong silhouette. Accessories were very important to this challenge and could be used as part of the accent color.

I was privileged to have been selected as the winner for this “At Home” challenge.

Alexandra said in her critique: “DESIGN SEVEN: Simply sensational. The balance of the accent color throughout is wonderful because of its muted tone. A brighter color might have dominated everything, Wonderful silhouette, and a stunning new interpretation of the basic shirt dress.

Durelle Brown is the winner of the Barbie At Home Challenge. This outfit has all the elements required in this challenge, plus a fresh approach to the LBD. Reinventing a classic design is never easy, but this design does it with subtle color and a modern twist.

Thank you Project Dollway

TED ~ Alexandra ~ Happy Ever After for the Gift Certificate

This fashion and Accessories are for sale!

As for my own approach to solving this challenge I wanted to make sure I kept a flavor of the classic but yet keep in mind the contemporary twist requirement. I knew I wanted a sexy neck line and the silhouette was also an important requirement. Barbie’s small waist is very distinctive and makes her a good muse to model anything.
Knowing me and how I get stuck on color I knew straight up that I would NOT use citrine again. So to resolve that issue with myself I began my mock-up design in that color. I will show that dress later. I decided that Fushia would look perfect with the design ideas I had. But I also knew I must tone it down or mute it some way.

I began sketching at work and narrowed down my idea to one look. Mainly because my co-workers kept telling me over and over that they loved this design and would wear it to a cocktail party. The look I started with was a classic trench coat / shirt dress design. The twist comes from the collar and sweetheart neck line. Also I adore the drag-el-ly (my word) dripping lace look. Scale is always the enemy in lace and trim for Barbie. I contemplated the idea of layering black and fushia tulle (right scale) but I knew that shirring tulle would result in a Tu-tu effect. So I had to come up with a compromise some way to get the look but at the right scale.

I Love thinking and problem solving how to scale things for Barbie. I am an OOAK artist and I have on many, many occasions styled doll hair by heat setting it in hot water. I am thinking to myself.. hmmmmm doll hair is just synthetic fiber and tulle is nylon a synthetic fiber surely I could heat tulle to achieve the pleated look I want .

Everyone has been asking me how I got this pleated effect sooooooo..... Here ya go..

I layered 4 layers the tulle with the black on top and loosely pinned it together. At the sewing machine I ran rows and rows of basting stitch ½” apart. I gathered up all of the lines of stitching (no easy task) as tightly as I could and tied them off. The next step in the process was to heat set the tiny pleats I had created. This was accomplished with my steam iron set on wool and using a pressing cloth. YEA....it worked!!!!


By removing my lines of stitching and releasing the tulle I had heat set pleats and all I had to do was measure the length I wanted and cut it free. Wall-a underskirt peeking out from under the over dress ½” giving it the contemporary look I was wanting.