Ever have an idea that is just out of this world? Your creativity gets churning and burning and before you know it, you've created something amazing. Or maybe you struggle to find inspiration, and when you do find it, the process of putting it all together seems overwhelming. When Cassie came to me a couple months ago and shared this idea with me, I have to admit, I wondered how she would pull something so fantastical off without a hitch. The answer was the perfect pattern, the perfect fabric, and a stylist and photographer to create an amazing team effort! Prepare yourselves, and head out on the journey with us...to Where the Wild Things Are.

Hi again! Cassie here from Lily Shine Boutique to share with you this amazing collaborative project I participated in along with Hailey Faria Photography and Dream Compass Styling. I spend most of my evenings sewing up cute, frilly, brightly colored little girls clothing. When Hailey, owner and photographer of Hailey Faria Photography, approached me with this concept shoot, I was a wee bit hesitant to take on the challenge of sewing a ladies gown. Sewing for ladies is a whole different world from children's boutique wear. Not only do the patterns for ladies require more paper, more fabric, more notions, more detailed fitting but they also typically require more time than sewing for children. Thanks to the amazing ladies at Violette Field Threads Patterns, I was able to provide Hailey's concept shoot with a gown from dream board to pdf pattern!

The concept of the shoot was inspired by the book, Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak. In the book, Max sails in a ship to the forest where the Wild Things are, and becomes king. Hailey, being the creative visionary she is, wanted to transform the theme of the book using a female model, set on bed with a mustard yellow headboard out in the woods along the beach. The creative masterminds behind Dream Compass Styling pulled together some amazing accessories, including the headband and scepter. Pretty epic, huh?

She wanted a gown with a deep V-neck, flowy sleeves and a gathered front. Immediately I thought of the Maggie dress by Violette Filed Threads.

To carry on the "wild" and "whimsical" feel from the dream board, I used a sheer overlay on the bodice and added a long, full ruffle to the hem. To make the dress floor length, I used the XL length pattern piece. I left the sleeve sheer and just did a rolled hem along the edge. A few snips and rips, and the dress transformed into the most perfect "undone" Wild Things gown.

We searched high and low to find the fabric, taupe with a grey undertone. I needed it to be flowy but still structured enough to carry the heavy 350+ inch ruffle. Thank goodness for the ruffling setting on my serger!

My favorite moment is seeing a garment go from hanger to life, captured in an amazing photo. It makes all the hard work into creating the dress seem effortless. The Maggie Misses dress pattern was so well written, clear directions and photos to aid in understanding. I adore VFT patterns, and am so glad they have branched out into creating for ladies garments. As much as I'd like to pretend the dress was tough to create and extremely laborious, like most VFT patterns, it sewed up like a dream.

Participating in this project definitely challenged me, broadened my horizons and gave me some confidence in sewing for ladies. In case you were curious, I am more than eager to collaborate with these talented ladies again!