Happy Halloween!

Wishing Rich Charles a very Happy Birthday today. To the rest of you, may you have a safe, scary, happy, candy profitable (or whatever your Halloween pleasure today), holiday.

image courtesy of brothersoft.com

Witch Dress Halloween Inspiration

I went searching the internet for a witch dress that would inspire this month's paper dress project. My search turned up a plethora of women's witch dresses that might have been cute if they didn't make the wearer look like a porn star.

victorian witch costume

There is still creativity left, you just have to look for it in the children's section. How about this adorable little number? Victorian Witch! Even the title of the costume inspires and provides the perfect Halloween inspiration for October's dress.

Things to Do with a Paper Dress

Now that you've created those lovely paper dresses what are you going to do with them? How about a brainstorming session between you and your creative genius that addresses a few questions such as "What would make my dress look pretty?"

What kinds of display ideas inspire me the most? For me it happens to be a boutique style shop window. I will often look to the internet for images that are similar to the style I'm going for.

In this particular case I have found nothing that really jumps out at me and my inner voice is telling me to become a pioneer and create my own. Can you see these being developed into pristine white paper sculptures sprinkled with a little color?

I imagine something like this in a bedroom or sitting room, perhaps a fitting room of a high end dress store or gracing the publishing offices of a women's magazine. If you can dream it, it can happen! The idea of it all is sort of romantic and intoxicating don't you think?

How to Make a Wire Hanger

Under my expert tutelage, I'll show you how to make a wire hanger for your paper dresses. All you'll need for this project is some 20 gauge wire, a pair of needle nose pliers, some wire cutters and a little patience!

Thanks for watching! If you have a finished project, please feel free to post a link to your work in the comment section.

Wire Hangers for Paper Dresses

I'm finding that wire hangers work better with my paper dresses than the padded hangers. The reason being that the padding makes the hanger thicker so it won't tuck up under the shoulders of the paper the way I hoped.

wire hanger sketches

Up until now, I had yet to see a creatively designed wire hanger that even remotely excited me. I am pleased to report that not only am I'm thrilled with the look of this baby but they fit my paper dresses perfectly.  Come Monday, I'll show you how easy these are to make!

Spicin' it up on a Sultry New Orleans Evening

Enjoy the eye candy!

Paper Couture XIV: Paper Skirt Challenge

If you're excited about the Ms. September dress I posted yesterday, I've got good news! As promised, below is the template file for the blouse. The print size I am using is 5 x 7 inches.

paper blouse template - click image for full size

I am also posting a video tutorial on how to assemble the blouse. I have not provided any kind of template for the pleated skirt because I am challenging you to come up with your own skirt creation.

If you use the template, I would love to see what you create so feel free to give a shout out in your comments that includes a link where I can find your work. Have fun!

Note: By downloading materials you agree to the terms of use posted in the left sidebar

Paper Couture XIII: September's Girl

September's contribution to the Paper Wardrobe Project includes this breezy, modest but flirty style blouse and skirt ensemble.

paper couture: september's paper dress

Technically it was still summer in September so I wanted one last shot at a fun summer dress before moving on to fall and Halloween this month.

paper blouse

It is incredibly satisfying to be able to form a mental picture of what I want and then bring it forth from the ether as a perfect artistic reflection of my passion for paper.

Note: Template file and video instruction for assembling this dress are coming so hang tight everyone!

Working Girl Blouse Comp

I love it when a plan comes together. Here is a sneak peek at what's coming up next for the Paper Wardrobe project. I missed September so I'm a bit behind.

NOT a template  - working comp of paper blouse

This is a working comp of the blouse and not intended for download. I'll show you how to create this as my September contribution to the Paper Wardrobe project. I'll also have a challenge for you which I will announce when I post the tutorial.

From School Girl to Working Girl

While I like the look of the sailor uniform neckline of my previous sketch, I modified a little bit to give it a more mature look as shown in the drawing on the left.

The modified blouse is more in line with what I had in mind. Haha! This isn't rocket since right? I could do both!

School Girl Doll Sketch

I like to begin a new piece with a sketch so I have kind of a road map of what I'm going to do. This is what I came up with for my school girl doll that will be auctioned off next month.

A plaid skirt is a must and the top will have a sailor type neckline. I think It will be just adorable! It's amazing how much inspiration sketches and other visuals can provide.

Reinventing the Catholic Schoolgirl

I volunteered to donate one of my dress form dolls to a charity auction coming up next month for a private Catholic school. The only question now is how will I design it? A pleated paper skirt in a plaid pattern is a must but I'm conflicted about what to do for the top.

pattern from Karen's Variety

I'm not particularly wild about the whole catholic schoolgirl look because it's too plain and rightly so. I like the neckline of the green polka dot dress above which I could combined with capped sleeves like the dress shown in front.

Catherine Cottage (site in Japanese)

Here's another possible look for the neckline that I think is very very cute. I could somehow mix and match elements from each dress that I like to make it my own. It will be interesting to see how this evolves. What do you think?

Feeling Blue

Why do I feel so sad today? Is it post drama depression syndrome from spending a week looking for a missing cat or the fact that my dad who has been living with me for the past 7 months, departed early this morning to return to sunny Phoenix?

I've been living on my own for so long that I didn't realize how nice it is to have another person around and today the place just feels so empty. I hate being the one who is left. Even as a kid when the cousins would come visit for the holidays, I always felt this intense melancholy the day they left.

I'll get over the feeling within the week I'm sure but today all I want to do is curl up, hide away from the world and not do much of anything.