a dress in the making (part I)

I am going to design a Nicaraguan folkloric dance dress and I am excited! I thought it would be fun to document the process from start to finish. Patricia, who dances professionally and teaches classes at the cultural center, has connections with a woman who makes the dresses. The cost of tailoring and materials is quite inexpensive so I think it will be a neat experience to have it handmade and support a Nicaraguan seamstress. On Monday Patricia and I plan to go to the market to buy fabric so stay tuned for more photos.

I've included a few photos of typical Nicaraguan folk dance dresses. They are usually bright colors with full skirts and most have a bib flap that frames the neckline. I haven't decided for sure if I want the bib flap yet or not. The top photo was taken at the cultural center and the other was taken by a Nicaraguan photographer that I found online.

I've also included a drawing of my potential dress. Feel free to suggest other color combos if you like!