I rented a 100 year old farmhouse in Alpharetta once that I used for my studio and sales of my wedding gowns. It has since been torn down. It didn’t have heat or air conditioning. I loved the old woodwork, tall ceilings, built-in shelving and huge pecan tree in the backyard. It had 3 fireplaces, and only a few internal doors, so I bought vintage patchwork quilts to hang in the doorways to keep the heat from drafting between rooms. I loved that place. It had gross carpet on the floors, so I insisted it come up. I spent days pulling up all the old carpet and prying the hundreds of staples out of the floor. I didn’t have money for new furniture, so I made it work with things I reupholstered from thrift shops.
Once, a squirrel got into the house and broke a bunch of my Fire King dishes while running on my kitchen shelves! I found it in my bedroom crawling up my curtains! Ha ha ha! We looked at each other and decided I should leave the room and call the landlord, who later showed up with a tennis raquet, but the squirrel had disappeared by then.
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A strapless ball gown made of natural silk organza and hemp/silk blend sustainable fabrics
A halter gown made of hemp/silk floral sustainable fabric
I had purposely pinned my dress in the back to make it fit better for the photos, but of course they ended up with that in the photo! ha ha ha! Someone later told me it was very appropriate, since I was in the business of dressmaking and design. ha ha ha! Either way, this was a fun day doing this shoot for Skirt! Magazine based in Atlanta, Ga. This shot is in front of the barn at the Alpharetta house.
