the flowers that bloom in the spring, tra-la

This, I'm afraid, is another tiny-busted wonder (pay no attention to the endowment of the illustrated women, only to the measurement on the envelope). It's from eBay seller oncillakat, who seems to have a lot of fun stuff up right now.

This caught my eye, though, for the repeated petal motif. If I were to make this dress (which I'm not, because, well, it's not my size) I'd go way over the top with it. I'd make it in pale green satin and cover the whole thing with intricate Callot Soeurs-type silk ribbon embroidery. Tiny flowers, or some such. You know what I mean. I'd have a horizontal vine motif running through the midriff band, too. Maybe even with beads -- and I don't usually wear beaded things, so you know I'm serious, here.

Another wonderful way to play up the tulip skirt would be to embroider it as if it were an actual variegated tulip. Imagine this kind of coloring on that skirt, done in satin-stitch embroidery, or, better yet, bugle beads!



[tulip picture by Sheila Steele.]

Of course, since I don't do silk ribbon embroidery, or beading, or, even satin, really, this dress remains purely notional. But if YOU do all the above, please, feel free to take this idea (and buy this pattern) and run with it. Just send me a jpg, 'kay?