Challenge #4 Comments from Alexandra

I was thrilled with Alexandra's comments, once again.

Now twice I've patted myself on the back, sure I had a winner -- once with Evangeline (Challenge #2) and this time with the Tonner ballgown -- and the winning entries are always superb, so
I don't mind not being "The Winner" when I see such wonderful work and when I get such nice compliments on my work; knowing that someone "gets it" is another way of winning:

Tyler challenge (#4)

DESIGN THREE - This is a very charming and whimsical solution to the challenge. The shape of the gown is correct for a ballgown. While I think this might work for a costume ball I seriously doubt that it would be right for a standard ball. I love the pencil earrings but they are much too big. High marks for originality and inventiveness.

Especially important to me was that words charming, whimsical, with high marks for originality and inventiveness were used, as those are what I strive for, always trying to think outside of the pink box, so to speak.

Another, perhaps even more important, thing is Alexandra's noting that I had the correct shape for a ballgown. I was excited about this for two reasons, three, actually:

• I've never worn one and never made one;




• It was noted that the official designers had missed the mark on ballgown when designing a ballgown with outsized elements;




• and I work hard to meet all requirements of a visual challenge, an artistic challenge. Working within a framework is a great stimulator to creativity.
  

I missed the mark in one area -- I took the doll with me to Hermosa Beach to continue working on, as I had sent pictures of it just pinned in place with the accessories completed before I left on the morning of the 20th:

I had designed the pencils and eraser as the other outsized elements and made them first. When I got back here on the 27th/28th, I realized that I had forgotten an outsized element was to be more a part of the ensemble. I had had other designs in mind, one of which had a long trailing stole, and another a full-sized fan as something of a walking stick that could also be used as a background: a fan oversized like that of Temari from the Sand Village in Naruto.

I got myself focused so I could take what I needed with me and finish it up in California, and had, at one point, had an elongated back on the skirt of the dress as an oversized element -- not a train, but a longer back, with more gathers in at the back waist as well; when I hemmed it, I had forgotten that and decided to hem it just off the floor so that she could dance in it better.

For events to which this gown could be worn, I thought that it would be a nice gown to wear to a charity ball, one benefitting a form of arts and letters, even writing scholarships, if not to a ball sponsored by the New York Times or another publishing company.

Whew! I had more to say than I thought.

Maybe some of this can go in the place holders I put for the outfit, along with the relevant photos. I'm not sure how steady this site is on photos after all the RanD ones disappeared. Got to get this back up before Rudy and David go to judge the Susie competition (another one for which I have a world of ideas -- pun intended)

Time to walk Fidel: