The Journey of Amber Jewels

Some garments arrive fully formed. Others ask to be lived with first.

Amber Jewels was the latter.

This dress did not begin with a sketch or a pattern. It began with a feeling.

Late November: Receiving the Fabric

In late November, the fabric arrived.

I didn’t rush to the drawing table. Instead, I sat with it.

I touched it. Watched how it caught the light. Let the color speak. I paid attention to its weight, its warmth, its energy tone. Amber Jewels felt grounded yet luminous—quietly confident, never loud. It held a presence that asked to be honored rather than controlled.

At this stage, the dress existed only as a sensation. And that was enough.

Early–Mid December: Resistance

When I finally began sketching in early December, I met resistance.

None of my illustrations landed.

It felt forced. Every silhouette felt like an imitation of something the fabric itself was not asking for. I tried again and again, and each attempt left me more disconnected.

So I stopped.

I trusted that the resistance was information—not failure.

Late December: The Vision Arrives

Just before Christmas, while daydreaming in the quiet glow of midday, everything shifted.

I saw the fabric draped in front of a window. The sun peaked through gently, warming it alive. I closed my eyes and watched it dance in a breeze.

The scene expanded.

I saw the hemline bouncing along a campus walkway, moving toward a local coffee shop. Leaves rustled as the door opened, releasing the sweet scent of espresso and almond croissants.

Inside stood a woman wearing the Amber Jewels dress layered over a brown long-sleeve ribbed turtleneck, matching slim pants, and leather boots. She filled the room with sophistication—an air of vanilla, spice, and determined expectation.

As she walked back out with coffee in hand, something caught my eye.

Above the ribbed sleeves, the dress itself was sleeveless.

I noticed the amber jewels draped at her neckline like a scarf. And suddenly I understood.

The dress had a halter neckline.

In that moment, I relaxed completely. Relief washed over me. The garment carried exactly the energy I had felt from the beginning.

The professor stepped outside, met her student arm in arm, and together they continued on to class.

Living Inside the Dream

After that day, I replayed the scene again and again.

Each time, it became more vivid.

I noticed seams. Fullness. Construction details. I lingered longer in the café. I felt the power of the woman wearing it—present, capable, embodied.

The dress was no longer abstract. It was alive.

Rest as Discipline

After the holidays, I remained on vacation for two more weeks.

I was away from my studio, my sewing machine, my fabrics, my tools.

And I welcomed it.

Rest is a discipline I am still learning to honor. There is a time for work and a time for rest—and both are equally sacred.

Even while resting, I never let the dress leave my sight.

The dream continued to grow.

I saw students engaging on a beautiful autumn campus. Two young women chatted outside the café wearing Golden Crown Athleisure pieces paired with an Amber Jewels skirt. I saw the university dance team flexing and stretching in matching Golden Crown sets.

I shook with absolute glee.

It felt like witnessing my ideas before birthing them—sharing them with the world while they were still only mine to feel.

Early–Mid January: Making It Real

In early January, I returned to the studio.

This time, I didn’t overthink.

I began crafting the patterns, asking myself only yes-or-no questions. That simplicity became my guide.

I chose hand stitches. A full lining. A waist belt designed to double as a head scarf.

I spent 12 uninterrupted hours creating the first Amber Jewels dress from start to finish.

Along the way, I learned easier methods—lessons I’ll carry forward into future orders.

Love at First Light

I am so completely in love with this dress that words barely touch it.

It is a dream made tangible.

I now find myself walking into my studio just to watch it glow in the daylight—alive, warm, exactly as it first appeared to me.

Amber Jewels arrived when it was ready.

And so did I.

Experiencing Amber Jewels in Person

This journey now continues beyond the studio.

From January 23 through February 27, 2026, Amber Jewels will be on view as part of an art exhibit at Cab Calloway School of the Performing Arts in Wilmington, Delaware. Seeing the dress in person offers something no photograph can fully hold—the way the fabric responds to light, the quiet strength of its construction, the presence it carries in real space.

The exhibit is an open invitation to step into the story, to witness the garment as it lives and breathes, and to experience the energy that shaped it from the very beginning. Whether you come on opening day or find your way in during a quieter moment, the doors are open. The dress will be waiting.