Wedding Dress Diary: Part 1

October
After trekking to NYC to buy the fabric, I am finally emotionally ready to start the wedding dress.  I still have 6 months, so I don't feel rushed, but it's time to get moving.  Somehow, making the dress makes the fact that she is getting married more real.  I feel like I'm loosing a daughter.

My first challenge was laying and cutting out.  The china silk I chose for the lining and the silk organza underlining was not wide enough to accommodate the train.  I had to buy more.  As much as I enjoyed my fabric shopping trip to NYC, I didn't really feel like going back so soon. But I made adjustments to my schedule and planned to go back.  But, before jumping on the train, I made a trip to Jack B's, on Philadelphia's Fabric Row, the store that burned down when I first shopped for wedding dress fabric.  (They were able to reopen right across the street.)  And, praise God, they had just the silk and organza I needed. No trip to NYC was needed.

My first task was to sew the organza underlining to the dress pieces.  I wanted to have the shell of the dress done so DD could try it on when she was in town for her shower.

November
I was able to finish the shell for a fitting.  All that was required was to take the sides in.  When Linds tried on the muslin, she wanted a loose fit, but my

My bestie's DD & my younger sister at the shower.

younger sister (who was in town for the shower) and I were able to convince her to have a closer fit.

I finished the dress, except for the hem, before Thanksgiving and took several weeks off before starting the lace overlay.

December
The lace is tuning out to be as big a challenge as I feared.  It's very soft with a beautiful hand -- not at all like the crap I used in the muslin.  But, it is still a challenge.  I decided to use a 4 thread overlock for the seams.   When the lace overlays the satin, the seam is practically invisible.  When it overlays Lindsey's skin, it will be finished nicely.

 

It is nearly impossible for me to distinguish the right side of the lace.  I hope it's just as impossible for everyone else, because I can't guarantee I made the distinction correctly every time.  Once the lace is ready to be permanently sewn together, I'll have one more challenge.  For some reason, I thought basting using pink thread would be good because it would be easier to see and remove from the lace.  Then I thought, "I might not have to remove all of the basting.  I can serge right over it."  So now, half is basted in pink and half in white. Oh well, one learns through one's mistakes.  Anyway, the lace overlay is basted and ready for the next fitting, which will take place when Lindsey and I are together for her last Christmas as a single girl!

I don't plan to do any sewing for myself until this wedding dress is finished.  I've taken breaks, sometimes long ones, between phases but now I'm ready to move and get this job done.

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PS:  Praise God!  Lindsey's fiancé came home safely from Afghanistan!