Chapter 1078
Chapter 1078
Chapter 1078 Embroidering A Wedding Dress
Melanie couldn't help but feel a sudden sense of unease as she met Bailey's confident gaze.
This woman has never earned her place in the embroidery industry, so how does she dare to look
down on everyone? Have I missed something crucial? No, it can't be. It must be Zara, that cunning
woman, who allied herself with Bailey beforehand and attempted to leverage her influence to coerce
me into surrender. If I show fear now, I'd be falling right into Zara's trap. Until everything is settled, I
can't afford to falter, let alone admit defeat. Perhaps this is just a tactic to unsettle me. I must not fall for
it!
With that thought in mind, she said, “Is that so? Ms. Jefferson, it seems your embroidery skills are truly
exceptional. I'll be looking forward to it, then. Hopefully, you won't disappoint me. There are countless
pairs of eyes watching, after all.”
Bailey simply chuckled in response.
In her eyes, Melanie was nothing more than a buffoon.
Even though she's quite attractive, she clearly lacks intelligence. Women like her aren't worth my
words. What a disappointment.
The competition lasted for an hour, allowing participants to create spontaneously, with the jury
ultimately selecting the best participant.
Bailey hadn't practiced embroidery for over two years. Although she hastily mended a piece using the
Yrinasion embroidery stitching a moment ago, her skills felt somewhat rusty as she entered the
competition.
Melanie couldn't help but sneer inwardly when she saw how Bailey was standing dazedly in front of the
desk, looking utterly clueless about what to do next.
I knew it! There's simply no way a last-minute contestant can defy the odds. This woman is merely
banking on her family's wealth and connections. Too bad the Shurmer family isn't the one holding all
the cards today. With so many guests present and a professional judging panel, some of whom have
benefited from the Strasson family's favors, I can't fathom how Bailey could possibly turn the tide and
emerge victorious in this scenario.
“Ms. Jefferson, it appears you're struggling to find inspiration, huh? Why not take a break, maybe get
some sleep?” she mocked.
Bailey ignored her, fixing her gaze on the plain brocade on the table. She began tracing the pattern she
had envisioned onto the fabric as if the world around her had faded into nothingness.
She wanted to embroider a wedding dress, one in a vivid shade of red.
She envisioned a vintage-style dress, adorned with a golden phoenix gracefully soaring amidst intricate
patterns. The silk threads expertly captured an aura of elegance, precisely embodying the image she
had envisioned in her mind.
Since it was her wedding dress, it was only natural that she designed it herself.
Every detail, from the design and color to the intricate patterns and embroidery technique, had to be
personally overseen by her.
Once the dimensions were marked, she began the meticulous process of threading the needle and
guiding the threads.
With limited time on her hands, it was impossible for her to intricately embroider an entire bridal gown
on the silk fabric. Instead, she focused on outlining a rough draft, capturing the essence of her vision as
much as time allowed.
She utilized the silk fabric in her hands as the foundational material for the bridal gown, meticulously
embroidering a framework onto it and then focusing on crafting the pattern of Morning Gathering of a
Hundred Birds.
The essence of embroidery lies in the patterns adorning the fabric of a garment, which is typically
crafted from a single, unbroken piece of material.
In the span of an hour, Bailey could have embroidered a peony, a phoenix, a porcelain artifact, or even
a scenic landscape on the fabric. However, she decided to push herself by attempting the initial draft of
a bridal gown in this constrained time.
The complexity of such craftsmanship suggested that it was practically impossible to finish within an
hour.
Despite that, when she was learning embroidery from Yrina, she developed a groundbreaking
technique that not only cut down the time required but also maintained a high level of craftsmanship,
aiming for perfection.
Time was slipping away, with every second ticking by, and the guests around her were all eagerly
anticipating the outcome.
At first, many doubted Bailey's abilities, dismissing her as a last-minute addition forced onto the stage
by the Yrina family. They believed she lacked true talent and substance.
However, expectations among the audience began to soar as they witnessed her earnest dedication. A
captivating charm enveloped her, radiating a classical beauty refined by the passage of time.
Ever since Bailey made her powerful presence known to the public, she had never disappointed
anyone. Perhaps this time would be no exception.
The crowd reckoned they shouldn't jump to conclusions too soon and write off Bailey's abilities, for
such assumptions might backfire on them.
An hour passed quickly under the watchful eyes of the masses.
Satisfied, Melanie smiled at the lotus and water lilies she had delicately embroidered.
With time so limited, she managed to embroider only this spring lotus scene on the oversized silk cloth,
measuring three meters wide and four meters long.
Nevertheless, she felt that this was enough to outdo the novice Bailey.
She began, “Ms. Jefferson, even though we're currently on the Shurmer family's turf, don't think you
can win by using connections. There are thousands of eyes watching, along with the esteemed judging
panel. If you happen to lose, I hope you can accept it gracefully. While it might bruise your ego to lose
to me, remember that competitions always have winners and losers, so don't take it too hard.”
Bailey found her words somewhat amusing.
Judging from her tone, it sounds like she's convinced she'll win this competition today. I can't tell if
she's just naive or if someone has instilled an extraordinary amount of confidence in her. Over the past
six months, I have taken part in countless competitions. Many times, people expected me to lose, but I
proved them wrong every single time. With so many lessons from the past, I genuinely can't
comprehend why she believes so strongly in my defeat and her victory.
“Ms. Melanie, I pride myself on my good manners, and I really don't like resorting to foul language. But
seeing your behavior, I can't help but think of two words, 'profoundly ignorant'.”
“You...” The mocking smile on Melanie's face vanished in an instant, replaced by a twisted grimace.
“Bailey, you won't get away with any tricks with so many people watching. Once your work is revealed,
you'll be utterly crushed.”
Bailey paid no attention to her and walked away, heading toward the nearby resting area with a
nonchalant demeanor.
After an hour of intense focus and precise calculations, her brain was running on empty. Now, all she
wanted was to find a place to rest and recuperate.
She didn't catch what the host had said. After a brief moment, the clamor from the audience below the
stage fell silent. The entire room hushed, becoming so quiet that the sound of a pin dropping would
have been deafening.
The backstage had unveiled both embroidered pieces—one depicting a lotus in spring and the other
portraying a bridal gown.
One exuded simplicity and purity, while the other exuded grace and opulence, leaving a profound visual
impact on everyone present.
However, the size of the spring lotus pattern was quite small, occupying only a quarter of the entire silk
fabric, making it easily overlooked.
Meanwhile, upon examining the bridal gown pattern, the crowd could see that it was meticulously
detailed in golden threads, depicting a scene of Morning Gathering of a Hundred Birds. It sprawled
across the fabric, nearly occupying the entire silk canvas.
Even though it was merely an outline, a preliminary draft, the intricate embroidery work within this
frame instantly captivated every onlooker's gaze.
Placed next to the wedding dress embroidery, the lotus pattern appeared insignificant, akin to a
sesame seed next to a watermelon, garnering only casual glances from the observers.
In fact, those with discerning eyes wouldn't even spare a sidelong glance.
“Wow, it's a traditional bridal gown design! Even though it's just a draft, the proportions are so clear that
you can instantly see the overall structure. The competition lasted only an hour, yet, within this limited
time, the contestant managed to sketch out the intricate design of the most elaborate bridal gown and NôvelDrama.Org content rights.
even embroidered Morning Gathering of a Hundred Birds. Whose work is this?” someone exclaimed.
“Do you even need to ask? This must be Ms. Melanie's work. After all, she has been studying
embroidery for more than a decade. There's no way she only embroidered a lotus in just one hour.”
“Indeed, this lotus is too small, not even a quarter the size of the bridal gown. It couldn't possibly be
embroidered by Ms. Melanie.”