It all started over in the United Kingdom with dressmaker, Thelma Madine. I got a glimpse into the world of Gypsy weddings. And I was hooked!
Each week, I’d tune into TLC’s My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding and considered running away in hopes of getting an internship with Thelma.
Although I loved the enormous blinged-out wedding dresses she made, I was head over heels about her children’s creations.
Her Communion and Flower Girl dresses rivaled those of even the tackiest ones here in Staten Island, New York. The more tulle and Swarovski crystals, the better! Her Christening dresses were breathtaking! If you’ve never seen the show, you can buy My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding – Season 1 and 2 on DVD!
Thelma’s newest show is called, “Little Shop of Gypsies.” She takes on 10 Gypsy girls to teach them how to make fabulous dresses. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these girls who rarely get to finish high school.
Thelma has recently published her first book, “Tales of a Gypsy Dressmaker. She has an incredible story which includes a stint in prison…LOL!
Not to be outdone by the UK, enter the fabulous Sondra Celli, dressmaker of TLC’s My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding and Bling it On!
Her creations are spectacular! That woman and her crew can make dresses that dreams are made of!
The wedding gowns are over the top…hundreds of yards of tulle, thousands of rhinestones and enough fabric to cloth half of a large city!
But she doesn’t stop there. She’ll bling anything from shoes to
baby strollers!
Sondra has a team of girls who are called, “Blingettes.” They spend hours upon hours applying crystals to her creations.
Channel Guide Magazine did a great interview with Sondra. Great read!
All this BLING reminds me that I need to order more Hot Fix Crystals from my friend, Suzie aka The Hot Fix Queen!
With friendship,
Lisa