sewing my purple wedding dress
The wedding was five weeks ago but it feels like everything is just settling back into our usual routine.
The day was perfect – we couldn’t have dreamt that it would be any better!
But you really just want to see the dress, don’t you? Sorry it took me so long. I know I posed for one photo and I was waiting in hopes it would be sent to me, but I haven’t seen it yet, so here’s my second choice!
Posted in Wedding Dress Process.
You’d think I wouldn’t be able to wait almost two full days to declare the dress done, but that’s how busy it’s been around here! I finished it up Monday evening, and even got the ring bearer pillow and wristlets all sewn up!
Here’s a peek at the back (sorry I didn’t straighten out the train or bustle for this!), no one gets to see the whole dress until I’m walking down the aisle in it! ;)
What’s left?
I still need to decide on the headpiece for the veil.
There’s an open seam on the ring pillow that just needs to be finished up.
The Menu poster needs to be designed and sent for printing.
The chafing dish labels need to be designed, printed and trimmed.
The ceremony program needs to be designed, printed and trimmed.
My garter has just recently shipped and should arrive this week.
I ordered a black version of my corset in case my train is heavy enough to pull my dress down a touch (or in case I step on my own hem!). Black would blend in with the lace at the top seam and most people might not notice.
The chair bows will be a project for my bridesmaids and me for the couple days before the wedding, unless I magically have nothing to do before then.
The soda flats we got for holding the favor boxes still need to be spray painted, and we have some frames to paint, but I think Matt is handling these steps.
Posted in Other Planning, Wedding Dress Process.
Anyone who asked me, last week, when I thought I might finish my dress (now that we’re down to two weeks to go!) got the answer, “I expect to finish it this weekend – though I have been saying that for the past three months!”
I very nearly DID finish it this weekend. There were two thoroughly wonderful yet unexpected hiccups in that plan. First, my family threw me a surprise bridal shower! I walked into the house (Matt had taken me to see Igor yesterday morning), and genuinely wondered if I’d walked into the wrong living room – it was full of women who looked like they’d gathered for tea! It took me nearly 20 seconds of confused smiling to realize they were yelling ‘Surprise!’. People seemed to think I’d suspected something – but let me tell you, when your head is full of worrying what projects you need to start or need to finish or which you’ve forgotten entirely, it’s very easy to miss otherwise suspicious behavior from family members!
So we had a very pleasant time socializing, and Matt and I received many generous gifts. Thank you’s go out to everyone who attended and made it such a wonderful day! Barbara (I know your office is following this blog!) sorry you couldn’t make it, but we’ll see you in two weeks!
I tried to help clean up afterward, until Matt shooed me away to go work on my dress.
I successfully did so for the next two and a half hours. The bustle (to cover the train attachment), on Saturday, had been stitched together, turned right side-out, pleated, stitched and attached to the gown. It came together very easily considering I didn’t really have a plan of attack! I had been meaning to pleat the fabrics before I sewed the lining on, but after I’d already turned them right side-out, I decided to just keep going. Too many weekends have been spent undoing stitches! And it turned out just fine. So the bustle had been attached and yesterday I grabbed those old button loops that did such a poor job holding my dress closed tightly and sewed along the top of my train. There are probably twenty-five or so loops there but I knew I wouldn’t need that many (nor would the buttons fit the width in the end), so I attached six buttons to the dress beneath the bustle and the train held on just fine. Of course I still have to see how it performs when I wear it and walk about. I can add a couple more buttons if it seems to want to sag.
A detail I had decided to add, after trying on some vintage black lace wrist pieces I’d ordered from the Victorian Trading Co (which I cut apart to use the lace raw, as the cuffs were too tightly gathered and very thick – not to mention the tulle on the inside was very scratchy), was an edging of lace across the bust line of the gown, to tie in the blacks of the wedding and some of my other accessories. I pinned this up on the gown yesterday and began to attach it. I would have easily finished last night, if it weren’t for that second hiccup: the Chicago Bears game was actually being broadcast (very rare in New England where we have so many local teams)! So I grabbed my loose fabrics, took the ironing board, cutting mat and other supplies in to watch the game with Matt, and made a pattern for the Ring Bearer pillow. The fabric for that is now cut and ready to baste before final stitching. I do need to find nice thick batting tomorrow night for filling it.
So, everything is progressing nicely! If it weren’t for the football game (at least they won!), the gown would certainly be done. But the pillow was the next step anyway, so I’m not too disappointed, just eager to reach the finish line!
No pictures! It’s so close to being done it actually looks like a dress now, so I want to keep it a surprise for the readers who will be attending the wedding!
The garter I ordered has not yet arrived, and I’m starting to get a bit nervous! I did, however, find an unused blue garter at the thrift store in town when we went looking for decorations on the cheap, and so Saturday I attached a Halloween button I’d picked up at JoAnn last week, and the tossing garter is done!
Posted in Wedding Dress Process.
I’ve spent SO much time on the back closure of this dress. Finally yesterday I had enough of it (I’d spent nearly a full day on simply attaching a zipper and some buttons!) and decided to come back to it later. I gathered and attached the hem of the underskirt, then checked the length and had to pin it up in a couple spots, which I’ll restitch tonight.
I’d been feeling down because the front of the dress had no additional adornment since the buttons couldn’t be sewn on in a way that I liked. So I grabbed the lace wrist pieces I’d bought, which felt very thick, and removed the elastic. They are now just ‘raw material’ lace which will be able to create not only my wrist pieces but an edge detail along the top of the dress, which will tie in the color black, previously not very present in my dress.
I still need to create a bustle for the back of my dress to cover the attachments for the train, and have decided to adapt one of the veil patterns I have to accomplish this, except that I will pleat it instead of simply gathering. This will be permanently attached to the left side of the buttons, with hooks on the other side to allow us to move it aside to dress and undress. For this I have already transferred the veil pattern to my fabrics and they have been cut out and set aside for basting and final stitching.
I also created a pattern and cut out pieces for my wrist pieces, which are thankfully small enough to machine baste before stitching. These will close with buttons, using actual button holes rather than snaps or loops.
I have decided on the design for the ring pillow, which shouldn’t take too long to create. I may need to get stuffing or foam for it, though.
Posted in Wedding Dress Process.
I can’t believe that in three weeks all our guests will begin to arrive! It certainly makes me gulp a bit.
I never would have thought that I’d really be running right up against the deadline to finish my dress, yet here I am!
The buttons on the front of the dress are not going to happen. My button cover kits have too much ‘lift’ off the surface of the dress casing them to wobble around and, because there’s boning right under the seam, I can’t push them between the stitches of the dress to stay in place. I couldn’t find button kits that would lay flat, so that detail is OFF.
Still, even the buttons on the back are rebelling! I had made my own button loops, but after a fitting last night they still stretched too much (that part’s my fault for attaching them too far back from the seam to compensate for button loops that were too long). I had added hooks and eyes inside the back panel to try and take the pressure off the buttons. All that did was reveal how the buttons and loops are not even, so there’s a BIG wrinkle on the back right side.
In a moment of enlightenment my father, who normally answers all sewing challenges with a stapler, suggested I forgo functioning buttons and use a zipper for the actual closure, letting the buttons stay for show. Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? Thank you, Daddy! I’ll pick up an invisible zipper on the way home tonight.
There’s still plenty to do after that!
The gown needs the final hem attached. I’ve measured for that and can pin, gather and then machine that and the dress proper will be done!
I started my veil last night and got pretty far! (It helps that veils are simple!) All that remains is testing it out with the hairstyle I want, and then creating the headpiece that will be used to attach it to my hair.
My train is mostly complete, I just need to finish one edge, and then figure out if I want my dress to have a little bustle sewn on to hide where the train attaches or, if that isn’t necessary, I’ll just attach the hooks for the train to hang from.
My detached sleeves may be shrinking into wrist cuffs, as I’m afraid the designs I came up with may be too busy. The cuffs would close with buttons, but maybe those buttons will be decorative only, and I’ll actually have snaps or something! ;) I ordered lace wrist pieces which have already shipped and would peek out from under the cuffs that I make.
That leaves, for my ensemble, the garter. I’m sure I can find a pattern for online. I have the lace and will dye that black. The little ‘poison’ vial for the garter will probably be painted on the inside instead of filled with actual liquid. Scratch that! I found the EXACT look I wanted – poison vial and all – on that blessed gift to shoppers: etsy. I’ve ordered the garter. I’ll pick up a cheapie tossing garter if Matt even wants to do that, and that’ll be done! I can always use all that lace on something else. ;)
I’m also making a ring bearer’s pillow, which I’d like to make a bit fancy, based on a pillow I’ve seen around online. But it will still be simple enough to sew quickly! ;)
I also realized I have tons of leftover tulle, which will work great on the ends of the chair rows. I’ll make one up, see how long it takes, and probably employ my bridesmaids to help me make them the day before.
AND there are still the programs and menus to make!
I intend to dedicate myself to a new sewing binge this weekend, so look for another update talking about how amazingly far I progressed! :P
Posted in Other Planning, Wedding Dress Process.
The buttons and elastic should arrive today, so I will be going crazy again. I’m hopeful that I can complete the gown and the finishing touches on the train this weekend.
I am also happy to report that I finally found the perfect photo album/guest book, exactly how I pictured it. It was just a matter of finding the right Google search terms.
And now I’ve reserved the chairs and cake stand for the wedding day. How very organized of me!
(5 weeks from tomorrow! Panic is starting to give way to excitement!)
Posted in Other Planning, Wedding Dress Process.
I started yesterday, tracing and transferring the pattern to the fashion and underlining fabrics. I had only two lengths to baste the two together today, plus cut and mark the lining.
I spent nearly all day on it (aside from going to town to get the marriage license!), and I am very content to say that it’s nearly done! Like the dress itself, mostly all I need are the buttons to complete it, though I am probably going to make and attach a permanent ‘bustle’ detail to the dress over where the train attaches.
It’s very nice to have something come together so quickly!
Posted in Other Planning, Wedding Dress Process.
39 days til the wedding. Pardon me while I hyperventilate for a minute.
Posted in Wedding Dress Process.
Found that missing jacket pattern, of course. It was tucked in with my concept sketches of the dress in the wedding binder (inside a manila envelope). Which I haven’t touched in months, but only opened because my mother couldn’t remember the Monique Luo dress I tried on and I knew I’d torn out that catalog page and slipped it in the folder.
Oh well! That’s irony for you!
Posted in Wedding Dress Process.
Mum helped me suck into the dress. The button loops, we think, are poor quality or of great age, since they don’t pull in any helpful way on the buttons. The fabric is there to tighten, so hopefully making my own loops will resolve that.
So the dress fits and the hemline I pinned last night is good to go! I’m trying to decide if I want to stitch it, or skip to another step for now. Since it’s a big sewing day, I may go ahead and cut the train pieces so I don’t have to try and do that in an evening or shorter weekend.
Posted in Wedding Dress Process.