A wedding dress saga

Navigating another big life event with needle and thread

I wasn’t going to write about making my daughter’s wedding dress.  I actually tried to keep my dressmaking role for the big event on the down low.  To be honest, I was terrified throughout the entire process. I know this might sound unusual for someone who has spent a lifetime making clothes for special occasions. I made my own wedding dress -however, that was a hundred years ago and I was too young and stupid then to doubt myself. And clearly, it’s different when you need to figure out how to interpret the dreams of someone else- even if it’s your own daughter. Tears were shed more than a couple times on this journey, But, in the final review I noted that I spent countless hours scouring the internet whenever I was stumped, so I decided I to jot down what I learned.  I found a great deal of guidance and support online. Maybe someone will find a helpful nugget from my experience -so here goes.

Where to begin?  I will say in the final analysis that this dress required more thinking than doing. I seemed to be stumped every step of the way. First, full disclosure- I have been sewing forever- but not couture sewing- just everyday bread and butter kind of sewing.  I really don’t know anything about dress fitting or lace.  I know how to sew for my body because i have a long relationship with it- and understand it intimately. But as it turns out- some fitting skills are extremely important if you are sewing for another body. And specialty fabric sewing is a subject you should brush up on if the bride loves lace. Lace is a complicated fabric territory; I discovered at least 21 different varieties of lace when I started researching.

As is our habit in our DIY lifestyle, we ended up plunging in head first and went shopping for lace fabric without a firm idea about pattern and style.  My daughter had tried on some ready-made bridal gowns- and liked elements of dresses, but we were still unsure about the exact vision.   The local fabric stores in my city don’t stock lace, and I wasn’t confident enough to shop online for such an unfamiliar product.  My daughter and I drove an hour to Rochester, Minnesota to Ginny’s Fine Fabrics where Ginny stocks a wide variety of lace and other special occasion fabrics.  Pretty quickly, my daughter fell head over heels in love with an open netted ivory lace with a significant border design.  The store had two pieces that totaled about 2.75 yards in width.  We picked a coordinating duchess satin for lining and a piece of ivory guiperre lace for making appliques.  The heart ruled the day- and then the next morning I panicked.  We didn’t really have enough fabric for the ball-gown styles that my daughter loved, and we didn’t have a clear consensus on design.  I went down the rabbit hole of wedding dress online browsing and we negotiated back and forth (read heavy negotiations, strong feelings, etc.) over the style.  We also had to wrestle with some serious style constraints given the fabric’s predominant vertical design and the scalloped border.  Given all these issues- I suggested and we finally settled on a simple and straightforward a-line shape.

I made a toile out of a nice pima silky cotton that I intended to use as the lining in the final dress. The design I drafted included a deep v-neck, narrow shoulders and a deep v in the back.  I did use Simplicity 2648 pattern front pieces to help create a princess style bodice block because this pattern includes several bra cup sizes which I have used to create a bodice block for this daughter.  After I made a toile and drove 7 hours to Chicago –where my daughter lives- to fit the toile and debate about waistlines- (read- this was VERY difficult) - I returned home and took the toile apart to use the pieces of the toile as pattern pieces for the dress.  

I probably should pause here to admit the first of many times I was paralyzed to move on.  The lace was obviously expensive- but in addition- there just wasn’t much fabric and virtually none to spare- read: not enough fabric at all!   So I couldn’t make a mistake- I also had to figure out how to fabric match the lace design in the bodice and puzzle out how to cut out the dress using minimum yardage so there was enough for a skirt.  Amazingly, I was able to cut out and pattern match the bodice with almost zero waste- these are the scraps left from cutting out the bodice.

Whew- momentary relief and then paralysis set in again- and I went back to the internet.  One of the first considerations with lace is seam finishes and how to make them look great given the sheer fabric.  I planned to use the silk satin to line the dress- but unlike typical linings where the seams are sandwiched together, I underlined the bodice, so the lace and satin were sewn as one piece.  That way the seam is encased and invisible.  First, I hand basted the lace to the silk and assembled the bodice in that manner- taking care to line up motifs.  I added some lace appliques to the bodice using an amazing invisible thread called wonderfil. My hand stitching leaves allot to be desired and this thread was a game changer.

Once the bodice was constructed I set about to tackle the skirt. Another decision point because I needed to treat the skirt seams differently.  I didn’t want to sew the lace into the skirt lining side seams.  I wanted to keep the skirt floating freely from the waist and the lining completely separate.  So how to handle the skirt side seams?

The lace is quite open so I couldn’t use the matched motif method most often used and discussed in this Threads video:  Then, I saw one wedding dress maker who used French seams on an open lace.  I did a French seam test on some scraps and that actually looked pretty spiff and wasn’t too difficult- mostly because I know how to do French seams.

The next decision crossroads was length of the skirt.  The silk underskirt would skim the floor- that was an easy decision, but I debated on how long the lace overlay should be.  It could also skim the floor, but the bride had wanted a train- impossible with an a-line skirt and limited fabric- but the dress could have a bit of a train-like feel if the lace pooled a bit on the ground.  I struggled with how much to pool- which was impossible to see without attaching the skirt and trying it out.  I attached the skirt and then tried it on the youngest daughter for effect because she was the only body on hand.  I ended up deciding to lessen the pooling- so I had to re-attach the skirt in the end.

Even though this is an a-line silhouette, I wanted maximum fullness at the dress bottom.  I used a horsehair trim on the silk underskirt- demonstrated below to give the skirt a good shape.  I also added a strip of folded tulle on the edge of the lining to add a bit of fullness.

I put off the back closure until the very end.  I didn’t want to make a seam down the back of the skirt because the lace border is so pretty and there is that wedding dress back interest requirement.  So, I made a 7 inch slit at the waist and made a placket faced with silk organza.  I closed the slit with transparent plastic snaps.  I had beautiful imitation pearl buttons from her great grandma that we wanted to use on the back of the dress but we both agreed there should be a zipper closure and the buttons would be purely decorative. 

I settled on a lapped zipper installation and planned to pick stitch it in place.  I was concerned about the strength of a pick stitched zipper so I sewed in a facing to the bodice back and then sewed the zipper to the facing first by machine and then I pick stitched the zipper facing in place to the bodice.  I think the pick stitching is more elegant than machine stitching. You will also note the zipper is sewn into the silk of the skirt but the lace overlay is free of the zipper- that took some finessing during the zipper install- but definitely easier to do hand stitching instead of negotiating that by machine.

The last stressor was completing the final fitting two days before the wedding- I had to lug my sewing machine by car (7 hours again) to Chicago so I could do last minute fitting and alterations before the big event. I also managed to find time among all the preparations to add the customary blue touch and a truly heartfelt message for this celebration of love- courtesy of Kylie and the Machine.

P.S. My dress is also me made in a New York minute because I was - ahem- preoccupied. It is inspired by the flattering vampire wife dress style and cobbled together mainly from McCalls 7539 a tried and true dress block for me.

Merry, bright -and WARM in a sequin Ruska Tee

What is the best antidote to a chilly and dark holiday?- something warm and bright obviously.  During our long, dark and chilly winters in Minnesota, I follow the northern European tradition of getting cozy with wool, lots of candles, twinkle lights, and a blazing fire at home.  Building on this strategy of combining light and warmth, I also created the perfect top for a frosty holiday at home –albeit somewhat by accident.

I planned to make a fancy top out of navy sequined stretch fabric purchased from Fabric Godmother last year.   I host extended family on Christmas eve and my go to hostess outfit is typically a party in a top.  The beauty of this plan is that I can prep everything and at the last minute, throw on a pretty top for the party.

So I dug out the sparkly fabric and was a little chagrinned to find out for some reason, I only bought a measly yard and a half of this fabric which pretty much limited my pattern choices.  But with sequins- staying simple is the best guidance- so I planned to use a tried and true Ruska tee pattern in Named Clothing’s Breaking the Pattern Book- it’s a tried and true “just right” tee- not too fitted and not too baggy.  It also works with both stretch and woven fabrics if you alter the neckline.

The sequin fabric required a lining, and as I was rummaging through my fabric stash for possible linings, I laid eyes on some merino wool from The Fabric Store and it clicked- I could be cozy and bright if I lined my shiny top in cozy and warm merino wool.

 Everything else about this project was easy.  I checked a few blog posts about sewing with sequins- see SewDIY’s post here and ByHand London’s post here.  Basically, there is either the careful or the quick approach to sewing sequin fabric.  You could remove sequins from the seam lines or you can put a jeans or heavy duty needle in your machine and simply sew.

It’s probably easy to guess which method I preferred.  I simply sewed through the sequins leaving a mini sequin storm in the sewing room.  I wear glasses so no worries about eye injury from flying tiny sequin shards that are created when sewing through the sequined fabric.  Also, just be aware that you will leave tiny sequin puddles for the first few times wearing it out from sequins that get busted and drop from the fabric with wear.

 Basically, I made the T-shirt according to instructions (except for the neckline): one t-shirt out of sequin fabric and one out of merino.  Then, I simply attached the merino lining to the sequin top at the neckline which created a great finish.  An ingenious blend of cozy and twinkle!  I paired it with True Bias Lander pants in black denim for laid back glamour. This project was so quick and easy I had time to paint my toe nails- navy of course to match my new top.  I think it is a great stay at home glamour outfit.  It may be sparkly fire on the outside, but it is soft, cozy on the inside.  

Refashioned Linen Shirtdress

Here’s a story about a remake times two.  I have a navy linen shirtdress that I made for myself several years ago that proved to be an amazing wardrobe work horse.  It was appropriate for practically every occasion: work, travel and play -dressy or casual.  But- years later- it is now too faded and too small/short? to keep performing it’s all star role in my closet.  I wear it around the house, but that’s about it- so I set about making a replacement.

I started this replacement shirt dress saga by making a kind of mashed up and hacked version of Grainline Studios’ Archer and Adler patterns. I have made several Archer shirts (blogged about here) and often use it as a base for other tops and dresses. For some reason, I was feeling extra and I added a waistline and a very big gathered skirt.  This particular linen- purchased from Stone Mountain and Daughter Fabric -is a little bit opaque, so I thought a full skirt would eliminate the need for a lining- and maybe I was having a ball gown moment.

If we are talking about versatility- I think navy is a champion color and I have quite a bit of it in my wardrobe. Linen is also definitely an all-around versatile fabric.  This particular light weight linen has dual magical properties: it is both crisp- see that collar- and it drapes.

I had fun twirling around in the dress for pictures and I liked it styled with different belts and shoes for different feels- but after the picture-taking session, the dress hung unworn in the closet – and lingered unworn, and almost disappeared.  What the heck?  I made this expressly because my other navy dress was so wearable.

 So I decided the dress needed a significant overhaul- or refashion -to make it more wearable.  I made a few key changes to the skirt and sleeves to give this dress a more easy going, laid back and much less structured feel. 

Let the unpicking begin! First, I completely took off the skirt and reduced the fullness, which made a big difference in the feel of this dress. I added a full button closure down the entire length of the skirt, and I also attached a casing and made a drawstring waistline for comfort and super easy style.  Last, I shortened the sleeves to relaxed elbow length.  Now it’s a great one and done every day kind of dress.

It feels more versatile and I can still change it up a bit with belts, shoes and other accessories.

I love how linen is a season spanning fabric.  This navy linen is suitable when the weather is cool, and we all know linen is the perfect fabric in a heat wave- and (surprisingly) it actually gets very hot and humid here in Minnesota in the summer. I wore the dress to brunch on the patio this weekend in extreme heat and it was perfect. This navy shirt dress- third edition- is a winner.

An Interior Roman Holiday in Closet Core Cielo

Italy is increasingly haunting my dreams.  My longstanding love affair with this country began when I was a student in Rome in the 1980’s.  Because European travel is still on hold, I decided to pacify my Italian craving by creating my own interior Roman Holiday with the Closet Core Cielo dress- this dress, hanging out at the Romanesque styled Lady of Victory Chapel nearby and consuming plenty of pasta seems to be the best way to satisfy my appetite for all things Italian.

Pre-pandemic, I picked up this fabulous Ruby Star yarn dyed warp and weft heirloom fabric from Lakes Makerie.  It is whisper soft and extremely lightweight- yet not transparent- which makes it a perfect choice for an easy breezy summer dress.  During the recent heat wave, it was especially pleasing to work with and perfectly cool and comfortable to wear.

I purchased the Cielo dress pattern not long after it debuted as part of the Rome capsule wardrobe collection by Closet Core patterns.  I also purchased and made the Pietra pants which were part of this collection –and blogged about here.   I love my Pietra pants and have made a couple pair, but I never got around to making the Cielo- I seemed to be endlessly waffling over fabric choices.  Check out other makes and you will see that the Cielo pattern can work with pretty much any fabric and will give a different look depending on the substrate used.  I liked so many of the variations.  With such a wide open playing field I was paralyzed from making a decision.

When I finally landed on the Ruby Star fabric, I quickly got down to business.  First, I was a little concerned about scale.  I studied other Cielo makes and discovered several sewists sized down.  When I consulted the finished garment measurements, I decided to size down to a 0- a very bold move.  My regular size for Closet Core pattern would be a 4 to 6 in the bust.  I cut a size 0 from the top neckline to the bust line and then graded out to a size 8 at the hips- close to my measured size.  I also lengthened the dress.

This is a super quick sew with no zips or snaps.  Love that- making this dress was like a vacation.  I chose to finish the neckline with facings instead of bias binding because I am a big fan of a faced neckline.  I like the look and feel you get from a faced and interfaced neckline- the facings provide a bit of structure that the garment can hang from.  This fabric is particularly soft so the facings help provide shape. After easily putting the dress together, I tried it on and I felt a bit too angel wings in the shoulders and sleeves.  So I unpicked the sides and scaled down the armscye a bit by using a pullover woven tee pattern to help with the drafting.   And then I put the dress back together.

I think the Ruby Star warp and weft earthy umber color has an Etruscan vibe and certainly helps achieve my interior Italian frame of mind.  I look forward to wearing this in Italy- when foreign travel is an option again.

Ahoy! Romero trousers and sewing friends

Ahoy!  Several weeks ago, Instagram friends from across the globe- @suestoney @sewing_in_spain  - asked me to co-host the “Make a Garment a Month” (MAGAM) sewing challenge on Instagram in April.  No need to ask twice- it’s been a long and socially isolating winter, and I was more than ready for some sewing camaraderie.   And even though I’m more than used to conducting business and socializing online this year- it was a real thrill to have a Zoom meeting with Suzy and Sue over three continents: Europe, Australia and North America.  The guest host gets to pick the prompt for the monthly sewing challenge, and since my sewing daydreams were most recently filled with nautical style, I pitched April Ahoy as a theme.

I have a longstanding crush on nautical style.  Maybe it was all those J. Crew mail order catalogs I used to get in the 1980’s where everyone looked so healthy, fresh and happy. Nautical looks are timeless and suit everyone- they are gender and age neutral.  I love, love, love striped tops (and striped dresses), boat neck styles, pea coats, brass buttons- anything in the color navy! When I was in high school, I actually owned a full on navy sailor dress complete with a white sailor style collar and red neck tie. My long-time maritime romance is puzzling – as I am a lifelong resident of Minnesota- smack dab in the middle of the continent.

For my nautical project I made the Pauline and Alice Romero sailor style trousers which I’ve made before - and I blogged about here. I always felt they were a little snug and I wanted to give the pattern another try to get a better fit.

There’s more than a few theories out there about the evolution of the wide legged sailor pant.  Some say the wide leg could be easily rolled up so feet and ankles were free from getting tangled while working on the rigging of sailing ships. Another theory is that rolling the pant prevents it from getting wet when swabbing the deck. One actual, practical use of the pants is as a life saving device.  If you have to abandon ship or fall overboard, you can easily remove the wide leg trouser, tie the legs in a knot and inflate the trousers with air.  Making pants into a flotation device is something I actually practiced in a water safety class when I was young.

Back to my pants project.  I used a twill fabric which had some stretch that I purchased a while back from the Fabric Store.  I cut a straight size 40.  Then, I carefully followed the excellent instructions for adjusting for a full backside provided by Colette- here

Armed with colored pencils and a ruler- it was pretty straightforward to add some leeway to portside!

And I achieved a ship shape fit after the adjustments!

To finish, I scoured my button collection and came up with almost enough brass buttons for the pants- there is one orphan button- still nautical though.

I am super pleased with my trousers- but the best aspect of this project by far- was the fraternizing fun- especially all of the nautical puns -shared with co-captains Suzy and Sue.