Princess Grace Wedding dress in miniature 1/12th scale

When I am creating a miniature replica wedding dress researching the details is the key element whether it is from the bride’s wedding album or from online research as in the case of my latest project. The wedding dress of Princess Grace of Monaco is acknowledged as a timeless classic that would be as wearable for a royal bride today as it was in 1956 when Grace Kelly in true Cinderella style married her handsome Prince.

The dress was designed by  Helen Rose the costume designer for MGM Studios and her original sketches supply a good source of detail for my miniature replica.I am grateful to http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/top-10-best-royal-wedding-dresses-2-hsh.html for a very informative source of information regarding the dress and accessories.

When designing a miniature replica, a little artistic licence has to be allowed in order to match the details as closely as possible with the materials available to use in miniature but I hope I have achieved a worthy attempt. Compare the original photos with my interpretation next to it.

As you can see from photographs of the dress, the skirt is unusually shaped like a bell with a high cummerband  taking the eye from the skirt to a lace bodice demurely buttoned to the throat. The dress is made of silk taffeta with Valenciennes lace and several underskirts to achieve the support and shaping to the dress.

The back detailing to the dress which is the view that is seen most during the ceremony has been taken into account by Helen Rose as she adds stunning  details  with a repeat buttoning to the rear bodice and a train inset with lace and bow details.The train is not overly long but relies on this clever detailing to ensure an iconic place in history .

Often royal brides wear an heirloom tiara but Princess Grace’s veil falls from a beautifully beaded Juliet cap that delicately frames her classic beauty, the front of the veil is designed so as not to obscure the detailing on the front of her dress

She carried a very simple bouquet of lily of the valley with trailing ribbons which is perfect in not overpowering the dress at all, but still very beautiful and elegant . At some point during the service she also carried a bible that had again been covered in silk and beading to match her dress.

Scale miniature replica wedding dresses are a beautiful way to preserve your bridal gown as a family heirloom to hand down through the generations along with replica veils, bouquets and any other important items.  The 1/12th scale dress can be displayed in your own dolls house or for greater preservation a glass dome or display box would be ideal. Please contact me at CharrismaMini@gmail.com for a quote on your replicating your own wedding dress in miniature.

Home Sweet Miniature Home

After years of promising myself my very own Dolls House I now have two projects on the go
My first purchase was a fairly cheap model as I didn’t have much in the way of funds or space so this one fitted the bill at the time and it was a good move to practice on something not quite as adventurous as my second purchase which I couldn’t resist as it was greatly reduced…it did however sit in its box for another six years until I had the space and time to build it….all good things come to he or she that waits…of course by then the assembly instructions had gone walk about and it had warped a bit so it was an interesting build of the “hit it with a hammer” style of workmanship and make it up as you go along style of construction for which Charrisma will become well known. Both are ongoing projects to keep me entertained for many years to come…Im sure my bank balance shall be none the better for the experience but we wont mention that to the grumpy old man!

This is Bouverie Bistro my first venture into the world of miniature

It is undergoing a bit of a revamp at the moment with a decision to change its exterior from cream and blue to a trendy urban chic style of Bistro in shades of grey. Christian Grey may of course be found in the hotel next door but that is a different story all together!  A cool grey frontage with gunmetal grey window surrounds and a gloss black signboard with gold lettering.

The ground floor shop is to be a Bistro/Deli affair with smart white kitchen/prep area open to the customer. Mirror tiles reflect the light and three working lights illuminate a row of wrought iron café tables. I still have to source and fill the food cabinets but the framework is all in place to start stocking my pattiserie cabinets and food counters.

Upstairs the flat will continue in the elegant grey theme with dark wood floors , a bit of a Kelly Hoppen influence going on here I think.. and some experiments with mirrors to give optical illusions of light and space. .

more of this detail to follow…I just want to give you a little taste of the “Bouverie Bistro” for now!

My real lifetime project will I think be the  “Manor House”…it doesn’t have a name as yet but it is a Georgian house being transformed into a luxury hotel, so rather a lot of bedrooms going on, of course they will all end up with luxury ensuites but the Architect and builders are still planning how that will be achieved!

I still have rather a lot of exterior fitting , window painting etc to do but with the poetic licence that can only be achieved in miniature I have moved onto the interior design projects and started on some of the rooms already…I will come back with more detail on each room as time goes on but here is a snapshot of work to date

The Dining Room, featuring a Chandelier that I have hand beaded myself and some beautiful ceiling paintings and wall panelling. The table is fully dressed.

Hand made curtains and pelmets using coordinated Tilda fabrics, lovely tiny designs just perfect for miniature work

Cheap bits of furniture revamped with gold paint and reupholstered in cream and gold brocade for a sumptious luxury boutique hotel style!

 and of course every hotel needs a Bridal Four Poster Bed and a Bridal Suite

Do keep checking back and see where I am with my “Home Sweet Miniature Home”