A lot of kids grow up watching Disney movies and wish they could be part of the stories. From princesses to magical beings, these films have it all. But it’s not every day that a person gets to feel like they actually belong in a Disney fairytale.
One woman named Ivy Thompson made this fantasy a reality when she created the most gorgeous dress.
Thompson learned to sew from her mom and her grandmother.
“I don’t have any kind of background in sewing or design, but I’m looking forward to taking my first official sewing class at the end of the month,” she told Business Insider (several years ago).
A classic Disney story helped inspire her to create a magical gown.
Initially, she came up with the concept for the dress after seeing a production of Cinderella. Later, when she learned about a masquerade ball being held in Seattle, it was the motivation she needed to bring her vision to life.
https://www.facebook.com/Cinderella/photos/10151124324601193
She got to work.
Thompson, who describes herself as an “English teacher by day [and] seamstress by night”, worked hard on perfecting the design. She hoped to create a dress that would appear to transform before the viewer’s eyes.
For her, the hardest part was figuring out how to make the dress transform in one smooth motion. Eventually, however, a snap panel and series of laces would bring the illusion to life.
After incorporating laces on the back of the dress, Thompson connected the lacing to a snap panel in the front. Using a pull cord and a simple flick of the wrist, she puts the transformation into motion.
At first, it’s a stunning, traditional ball gown that looks like it was made for a princess.
You can see the Disney inspirations in its design with the shoulder-less style and bell-shaped skirt. But when Thompson begins to spin, tugging the pull cord in the process, the ball gown suddenly begins to morph.
Like a caterpillar emerging from a cocoon, Thompson’s gown transforms into a beautiful, butterfly-inspired vision.
Thompson ultimately mastered the smoothness required for a convincing transformation— and seeing it in action truly is reminiscent of the classic Cinderella scene.
When Thompson posted a short video of the dress on Reddit, it immediately went viral.
There’s something so magical in the transformation, sewing aficionados were dying to try it for themselves:
“This dress is absolutely stunning. I would LOVE to attempt this for my daughter’s prom,” wrote Reddit user alrhios.
If any master seamstresses would like to attempt a transformation dress, YouTuber Becca Beach recruited her mother to create a tutorial.
Since Insider posted a video of Thompson’s spectacular dress on their YouTube channel, it’s been watched over 3.6 million times.
One person commented:
“Now THAT is true, natural talent! 💖 It’s amazing what you can do with a sewing machine, patience, and a lot of creativity!”
Another wrote:
“It’s like in fairy tales.”
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Check out the video below to hear Thompson talk about her transforming gown. Isn’t it gorgeous?
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