Maybe I’ll jinx it by announcing it in my blog but I have been asked to make a bridal dress. And yes it’s the full monty with a corset top, precious lace, hand sewn embellishments and layers of tulle! I have done two corsets in my days, but that was 15 years ago, so this will definitely be a handful for me. But I do thrive on challenges. I know several of you readers are much more savvy with formal wear than I am so I will probably shout out to you regularly throughout this process!
The dress she wants is inspired by this dress (okay, a knock-off really) from Stephanie James couture. Though I have been married, wedding dresses are alien territory to me. I had a simple courthouse wedding and wore jeans, a vintage cardigan and a tank top (but it was made in silk!). So this is going to be one big learning venture, that’s for sure. Maybe I should do some undercover research in bridal stores?
14 Comments
Jenny
January 14, 2010 at 11:47 amOoooh, I hope you'll be able to discuss the process here on your blog. I've never made a formal dress but hope to some day.
Johanna
January 14, 2010 at 11:51 am>>Jenny: I plan to, the wedding is not until September, but it looks like we will get started quite early.
Karin
January 14, 2010 at 12:04 pmHow exciting! And quite the compliment for you, I'd say. I would feel so honoured if someone would ask me to sew something as emotionally important as a wedding dress. I look forward to following your progress!
Kerry
January 14, 2010 at 1:13 pmExciting! My original reason for learning to sew was because I wanted to sew my own wedding dress. I just don't fit into anything RTW. I have yet to have done anything for it (I have a pattern picked out) but I am taking a pattern drafting class right now and my teacher is a former custom bridal gown designer/sewer. Once I get my bodice pattern drafted I can then move on to adapting it to my gown. Fortunately we have not set a date yet – that hinges on my dress progress. I'm looking forward to updates from this project of yours.
Nancy K
January 14, 2010 at 1:42 pmI hope that you are charging enough for this! It's a pretty dress and I hope that you'll be sharing your progress with us.
SuBoo
January 14, 2010 at 2:36 pmSounds exciting! Looking forward to reading about your progress with it all.
Christina
January 14, 2010 at 2:37 pmThat dress is so pretty. You probably already know about Susan Khalje's book, Bridal Couture – it's a great formalwear resource.
Julie
January 14, 2010 at 7:41 pmI 2nd Christina's comment…Susan Khalje's book helped me tremendously with the construction of my own wedding gown. I didn't do a great job blogging about my gown construction because I just started blogging when I was already underway. Some things I wish I could do again: practice hand stitches first (used a ton of hand stitching), use the Palmer & Pletsch tip for rolling the skirt matching pieces (outer skirt & underlining) so they hang better in the round (I got some dimpling on my outer skirt because I didn't do this), and only use breathable fabrics. Polyester, even if only in the petticoat, made we sweat terribly. Oh, and use a thimble. I pricked my finger and bled on my satin. Couldn't be fixed so I had to cut out some new skirt panels and restitch. Your garments are always beautiful so I can't wait to see your progress on this gown!
Ann's Fashion Studio
January 14, 2010 at 11:08 pmOH what a wonderful compliment, and I have faith in you and know you can so make this dress! I look forward to seeing your process 🙂
acb
January 15, 2010 at 2:58 amIt will be great fun to watch your progress – I'm doing one too. Can't wait to see your progress.
http://fabricateandmira.wordpress.com/
anita
January 15, 2010 at 8:16 pmnice dress! and a bit curious of who the bride is…
Cicci
January 16, 2010 at 8:39 pmWho is the bride?
annet
January 17, 2010 at 1:19 pmgood luck with that! i hope to be able to sew my own wedding dress one day but i don't think i'll be good enough by the time i get married..
Antoinette
January 18, 2010 at 10:43 pmHow fun! I sewed a corset for myself two years ago and it was actually very simple to construct — but also remember that I have a very small bust and there was no skirt to weigh the garment down. I hope you love the process! It will be beautiful, I'm sure!