Wednesday Weekly Wishlist: Figure Skating inspired Irish Dance Solo Dress

When I was a kid and I did figure skating, one soloist’s dress really impressed me. Her name was Nadine Bergeron, and for our 1991 show, she wore a white dress with leg of mutton sleeves (again, it was the 90’s!). There were rectangles of pastel shiny materiel strewn all over the bodice and sleeves, and the skirt was made of gathered multicoloured organza triangles in those same pastel colours. Absolutely typical of the fashion of the time, but I loved it.

Unfortunately, the best I can offer is this picture which I took on my television (crappy, I know; you can actually see me reflected in the tele, taking the picture - please don't judge my week-end PJ wear).

Nadine Bergeron, "Mademoiselle Anne", Revue sur Glace 1991, CPA Lorraine

I’m not all that in love with the cut and the pattern nowadays, but the colour scheme still strikes me as pretty. I guess it speaks to my inner child. Therefore, it is my wish to one day make myself an Irish Dancing Solo dress in white with pastel coloured quilted design.

Here is what I have come up with:

Original design by Kay McKay

The original design is by Kay McKay and was offered for free use on the no longer existing Colleen of Canberra website. I have coloured it according to what I remember Nadine’s dress looked like (the video is old and the image is not all that clear). The light green was especially important for me because the song she skated to was Mademoiselle Anne by Mitsou (1990), and the first line goes "Mademoiselle Anne a mis ses beaux collants verts" (Miss Anne is wearing her lovely green tights). Hence my choice to use it for the pleats and for so many of the diamond shapes.

So if I ever make it to Prizewinner, this is the dress I’ll make myself.

And if I don’t make it that far, I’ll find some other excuse!