Lace is one of my favorite fabrics. There are so many varieties and techniques used to create this intricate textile, but I prefer the old ways. Many of the mills that I work with are in their 4^th, 5^th, and in one case, 9^th generation of family owned businesses! Some of the lace patterns in my collection were designed and drafted in the 1760’s. I feel the history behind these gorgeous fabrics makes lace such a special choice for a wedding dress. That sense of the past, and artisan craftsmanship being handed down through the generations is rare in our disposable world, and it gives me hope that there are still people doing this work, and brides that appreciate it.

See the entire collection at Clairepettibone.com

I’ve never had the time to scrapbook or craft much, but I love looking at hand made decorative objects, and obviously, my creative energies all go into creating my own “crafting” of wedding dresses! This season, inspiration struck while looking at some Victorian decoupage. From the French word “to cut” this art of assembling and layering paper cutouts (often from floral greeting cards, wallpaper, and such) is still quite popular. As I was working with the layers of lace, appliques, vintage ribbons and hand-made flowers, I loved this idea of layering and almost creating a “collage” with my materials. My daughter saw me working on the Charlotte belt, and couldn’t resist helping out! Maybe I will have a future assistant!

See the entire collection at Clairepettibone.com

Alma, from the Latin, meaning soul, spirit, heart. Guipure lace framing her neckline and trailing down her sheer illusion back…Alma has stolen a few hearts already! A lovely blend of elegance, romance, and natural beauty, the organic ivory floral motif flutters with touches of champagne.

Love this feature from Style Unveiled, we can’t wait for some of our first real brides to wear Alma in this summer’s weddings so we can see more!

Please view both parts of this beautiful Emerald & Gold feature here and here.  Lovely!

Delicate lace with touches of champagne…we’ll toast to that!

See the full story at Style Unveiled

Photographer: Mike Larson Estate Photography

See the entire collection at Clairepettibone.com