The Petite Lace Wedding Dress

I made a custom lace wedding dress this summer for a very petite bride- she is under 5' tall. She is perfectly proportioned, which actually is the problem. Wedding dresses for petites are rare; for the very petite, they are nonexistent. Everything she tried on was too long or too large in ways that didn't match the sizing in other areas. Alterations would have been difficult and expensive if they could have been done at all. I had sewn for her before, so was anticipating this problem. I measured carefully, then made a muslin and tweaked it repeatedly until the fit was perfect. 

Once I had the fit right, I began by cutting and sewing the lining, then moved on to the bridal satin and vera knit, which would hold the lace appliques.

FYI, Vera knit is not the same as tulle or bridal illusion. It is a delicate looking but sturdy knit fabric that resembles tulle. It drapes perfectly.

The dress has functional buttons on the bodice, and ornamental buttons on the skirt.

The style and sewing were relatively simple to construct, but I spent many, many hours cutting out tiny lace flowers and motifs and sewing them into place. The appliques are closely spaced on the bodice and sleeves, and farther apart on the skirt, where they trickle down the sides. I also created a design of lace applique flowers and  motifs on the train.

The lace had a scalloped edging, which we used to trim the hem, neckline, and sleeves.

Her dress was very comfortable because it fit so well, and she was relaxed and radiant all day. She was a beautiful bride.

Planning a wedding? Read my blog entry on finding a dress that is perfect for you here.

Steampunk Corset Jacket

The idea for this jacket had been rolling around in my head for a while. Fall is a very busy time for me, and even though I was buried in work, a design contest at Urban Threads motivated me to get it done. Sewing time was dear. Between doing alterations for others and gathering and canning my garden produce, it was a stretch to get it done. It was worth it, though- the jacket won!
I really enjoyed making it- lots of photos below!

 

I started by making a pattern. The math was more complicated than usual. This jacket is unique in that it is made in two individual pieces. The lacing up the back literally holds it together. Embroidery and lace work had to be planned out very carefully in advance, and done before the jacket was assembled. All the embroidery was done with an embroidery machine. 

The most challenging embroidery was the cut work on the lower sleeve. There was stitching, then cutting, and thread changes, then the addition of soluble stabilizer. It was worth the effort, though! I backed the cut work in silver satin. I also made piping of silver satin for trim. 

                         

Lace cutouts needed to match down the back and be in place before I inserted the grommets. I used top quality metal grommets for the lacing, as well as boning next to the grommets so the jacket won't lose it's shape.

The lapels are embroidered with a steampunk clockwork rose pattern from Urban Threads- the creator of all the designs used on this jacket.

Metal rivets, hot fix metallic studs, and decorative silver buttons add the finishing touches. The jacket closes with heavy duty hooks tucked in behind the silver piping so they are not visible. The jacket is fully lined in a jaunty navy and brown stripe.

If you are interested in owning this jacket, it is available here: Corset Back Jacket

Cersei Lannister's Red Dress

Game of Thrones has fabulous costumes. They are beautifully designed and lavishly embroidered. I fell in love with Cersei Lannister's red dress, generously embroidered with gold, and decided to make an attempt at recreating it. 

I used Simplicity pattern #1487 and tweaked it a bit. 

I made the dress using three colors of  linen- red, flax, and gold. I used my embroidery machine to create most of the embroidery, since I have arthritis in my hands. The designs are a little different than the ones on the original dress for that reason. To make the designs curve around the neckline properly, I embroidered them on gold silk organza, cutting the extra organza away and clipping where necessary to make them curve. This technique also gave the designs more loft. I sewed them in place with large, widely spaced machine zigzag stitches of the same thread. I was able to embroider the lions directly onto the dress. These amazing designs come from Urban Threads. You should check them out.

I finished the basic dress and gold embroidery nearly a year ago. We took some photos, and then I set it aside until I had time to finish it.

I started working on the dress again in August 2015 and completed it later that month. I made the birds and flower buds using free motion embroidery on my regular sewing machine. The beading was done by hand. The tail feathers are real.

I also added a belt that I made. I think it turned out pretty well. 

Many thanks to my friend Katie Bernier for once again being my model.

If you are interested in owning this dress, it is available at: Cersei Lannister's Red Dress

Steampunk Goggles and Ballerinas

Last year I was the costume designer for a youth theater production of The Wizard of Oz. The production team made the artistic decision to steampunk the sets and costumes to a moderate degree. This was a lot of fun. In addition to gears, mini top hats, goggles, boots, and corset belts, I decided to costume the lullaby league as wind-up steampunk ballerinas. 

The simple net tutus and tiny top hats were easy enough.

But I really wanted that key in the back. It didn't have to be functional,  it just needed to look like it was. I thought of several potential ways to do this- all complicated, and hard to attach to a child, until one day I had that Eureka moment.

While searching for an easy way to make 20+ pairs of steampunk goggles, I came across a video on making realistic looking goggles out of craft foam. Seriously, craft foam? I ended up buying his pattern and was very glad I did. I made up a sample pair to show to my helpers, and they made the rest. His blend of craft paint and liquid latex totally altered the strength and consistency of the craft foam, and the brass over black paint blending actually made them look like distressed metal. You can watch the video by Lost Wax here.

The goggles were my inspiration for the ballerina keys. I cut and glued two figure eight key tops out of craft foam together for each key I needed. I made the shaft out of a piece of craft foam that I rolled up with glue inside, secured in place until the glue was dry. I then cut a slit, inserted the key top and glued it in place.

The shaft was inserted into a piece of pillow foam cut to the right shape and size. It was painted copper and sandwiched between gears cut from heavy metallic colored vinyl. I mounted them on front laced corset belts, so that the key would stand out straight when the belt was tied tightly.

They worked beautifully. And the girls were really cute.

Say Yes to the Dress

I do alterations- lots and lots of them, especially at this time of year. Most of the alterations I do are on formals for proms and weddings. Some dresses just need a tuck here and there or a quick hem. Others need major work that could have been averted by educated shopping. As someone who spends much of her time fixing problems, I would like to offer some suggestions before you head out to the local Bridal Shop.

-Consider Style. Just because something is stylish doesn’t mean it will look good on you, even if you have a great figure. If you have an uncommon figure type a mass produced wedding dress might not work for you at all.

-Choose the shop with care. Everyone has a reputation, either good or bad. Look into shop policies and sales techniques. Educate yourself before you start looking at dresses. Some of the smaller shops have a surprisingly nice, carefully curated inventory. They aren’t necessarily more expensive than a chain, and the service is often better.

-Does it come in your size? A sales clerk tried to convince my size 0 niece that they could easily cut a size 6 dress down to fit her. Fortunately her mother knew enough about garment construction to see it was a bad idea. She successfully purchased a dress direct from China in her size (more on that below).

-How is the dress constructed- will alterations be easy or extremely difficult? If you find yourself in love with a dress that will need alterations no matter what size you buy, look into this before you sign on the dotted line. Come back with a friend or professional who knows enough about alterations to figure this out by looking inside the dress. Some shops push women to buy a dress a size larger than the one they tried on. I recently altered one of these dresses. The size 2 bride who tried on a size 2 dress that fit perfectly was pushed into ordering a size 4 dress. When it arrived it was (no surprise) too big. That was when she learned it would cost her $150 for alterations- not counting the bustle on the train. She left, furious, and was directed to me by a relative. When I looked inside the gown, I saw that it had been made to be altered both up and down. Even if she had gained 20 lbs the size 2 would have worked just fine. Sometimes the opposite is true, though.

-Hemline details. Does the dress have hemline details or embroidery that you love? Will you lose those details if the dress needs to be hemmed? A young woman I knew bought a dress just for the embroidery designs around the hem. She is 5’ tall, and the dress was designed for a person 5’ 11”. The only way to raise the hem on this dress was from the bottom, but no one at the shop mentioned that to her, and her purchase was not refundable. In the end she wore the highest heels she could walk in and I built her a Cinderella style petticoat that lifted her skirt up and out. We still lost about an inch of the embroidery.

-Don’t buy under pressure. If you have any doubts or the dress costs more than you had planned to spend, write down the model number of the dress and think it over. If you are ordering a dress, a day or two won’t make any difference. Sometimes the dress can be ordered from the store's website. At one bridal chain I am familiar with, nothing purchased in the store can be returned, though items purchased on their website can be, and arrive in a fraction of the time of dresses ordered through the store.

-Ask questions about in shop alterations. Ask who will pin up the alterations and what experience and training she has in this area. Most alterations are pinned by sales clerks who have never sewn a stitch in their lives, not by the seamstress who will do the work. I have repinned and repaired some of these. Very few shops have someone on the premises to do the actual work. It is generally sent out to area seamstresses. Check with a local seamstress to see what she would charge you.

-Many shops have marked down or discontinued models. This means you buy straight off the rack. If you are an easy to fit size, you might be able to save a lot of money this way.

If you are not satisfied with your bridal shop experience or want to avoid it entirely, there are other options.

-Direct order from China. Do this only with the greatest care and plenty of research. There are lots of horror stories out there. I do know two people who bought their wedding dresses this way and were very satisfied. I have altered other direct from China dresses that were horribly made, and/or several sizes too small. Nearly all mass produced wedding dresses are already made in China and ordered from there by the dress companies. The dress companies vet the Chinese dressmakers they use and can demand a higher level of quality. If you buy direct from China, you have to do that work yourself. This dress was a successful direct order, requiring only a hem.

 

-Check out formal garments at department stores and online outlets. The prices and selections are often better, as are return policies.

-Buy a lightly used dress. Wear your grandmother’s dress, or shop thrift stores, Craigslist, Ebay, and Etsy sellers. There are a lot of beautiful gowns out there that have only been worn once. I did minimal alterations on this beautiful, lightly used dress a couple years ago.

-Get a vintage dress “remodeled” and updated to suit you. I recently remodeled a vintage dress from the 1940's. To see what is involved, read my blog about it.

-Have your dress custom made. This will not cost less, but if you are hard to fit or want something unique it is the best option. The bride I made this dress for is very tall.

This couple wanted a Medieval Wedding, and she was not a standard size, so a custom dress was the way to go. Read my blog about it here.

And this bride knew exactly what she wanted.

Happy Shopping, and I hope you find the perfect dress.

When she's not blogging, Nancy does alterations, makes custom wedding gowns, clothing, and costumes. She also operates three etsy stores- Embroidery as Art, Retro Sewing Patterns, and Great East Emporium. Follow her on Pinterest to see what inspires her.