dance dress v. 1

I found this tulle with gold flowers on it... gorgeous! I asked if it was washable and the guy shrugged, "At $3 a yard, who knows?" Of course I had to. Spotted the exact same color spandex, it almost jumped into my hand. (The pictures don't really do the color justice, it's greener and richer, more like turquoise..) And thus:

gotta love both their expressions in this one.

I tried to be thrifty by shortcutting a pattern -- basically it fits but it's really snug. I'll probably spring for this actual pattern by Jalie if ever I see  it in a store. It was a great project to learn about cutting and sewing Spandex from scratch with my new serger, which was my Mother's Day present to myself. 

Verdict? Love how easy it is to do that infernal gathering of the skirt, and finishing edges. Still have to get the hang of that neckline finish, tho. 

Of course, not all dance dress/costume materials are the same, as I learned from the costume repair/alteration frenzy that was last month.