Wedding Dress Progress

No peeking, Steven!!

This picture has nothing to do with the dress. I just wanted to be sure the thumbnail didn't show up on Facebook and reveal any tidbits to the groom.

I have been working steadily on Breanna's wedding dress for the last month or so, and I wanted to show you all where we are now. I've never sewn for Bre before, so I started with some measurements, and made a very rough muslin with a small (1/2) petite adjustment right off the bat, as well as lengthening the skirt 2 inches to have it fall below the knee. I also added some fullness to the skirt at the hem.

Here is the first muslin, all pinned up. I took an additional 3/4 inch out of the bodice length above the bust, as well as 1/2 inch tucks in the neckline to eliminate some gaping there. I did a small (1/2 inch) FBA and took out another 3/4 inch below the bust, as well as raising the neckline another 1/2 inch. This baby is drafted like a Burda! The skirt was great though. I did a second muslin of the bodice only (no pictures) and took another small pinch out of the princess seam below the bust, but otherwise the fit was great.

Here is where we stand now. This will be sort of a wearable muslin that Breanna can use for trashing, rather than destroying her actual wedding dress. If you are unsure of what I am talking about, you aren't alone. Apparently there is a new(ish) phenomenon in the photography world whereby brides wear their wedding dresses in situations in which they are destroyed or dirtied. I definitely was not a fan of this happening to the real gown, so this muslin will serve as a dress she can trash, without me going into shock. It doesn't have the fullness in the skirt that the final gown will have, and rather than a lace overlay, I have just used tulle. Otherwise, the bodice details are as they will be in the final gown.

Here is the front neckline. Isn't it lovely? The final version will also have lace trim around the neckline.

In back, there is a small keyhole, which will also be trimmed in lace in the final version. The keyhole closes with small snaps. The back is closed with a hand picked zipper, which will be covered with a button and loop overlay.

Here's a little construction tidbit for you. When I first started garment sewing again, and was whining about how much I hated setting in sleeves, my Mother commented on a past post that in the atelier Chanel, they didn't ease stitch sleeves, rather they pinned in the cap ease with lots of teeny pins. At the time, I thought that sounded insane, but I'm coming around to Mlle's method. I feel like I have much more control over how the sleeve eases this way. The fullness is precisely where I want it for a perfect fit.