And the last Wedding Story - Promise!

Well with less than a week before the wedding, I've finally decided on a gown to wear. I brought home 6, then 3 more - all of which were nice but nothing that grabbed me. The one I liked the best had small cap sleeves but I wanted some kind of covering for my arms. I thought of painting or dyeing some sheer silk but it was a hard color to match, but also the dress I really liked. So I decided to add 1 more thing on my long list of things to do - make a sheer shawl! I wanted to use acid dyes as they make such beautiful color on silk. Since the dress was a brownish-cranberryish-purple, I thought purple + yellow makes the prettiest brown. So I dove in mixing colors, testing on paper and then on sheer silk.
Close but not close enough.

And then I thought of silk paints. I have some Dye-na-Flow and it works great - no steaming, just set with an iron and it's easy to tell the color right away by testing on a small piece of silk.

I found Burnt Umber was close to the dress color but needed some toning down so I added Pewter and then to "purple" it up a little, added just a tad of purple.

Not too bad.

I used to do a lot of silk painting,  taught a beginners class for a while, but I've forgotten so much.  I did a big "no-no" - laying the fabric on a surface instead of elevating it to allow for a more even spreading of the paint. It looks good lying here but when I pulled it up, it was one big blotchy mess!

The silk on the left is the blotchy effect you get when you paint silk this way.

I was so disappointed as the color was a perfect match, but luckily I did write down the "recipe" for this mix. To elevate the silk, I used some saw horses from the basement, put a strip of plastic underneath the area where the silk was tacked and laid a big piece of plastic underneath the whole thing....

and worked like "crazy fast". One of the negatives in working with silk paints, as opposed to silk dyes, is that they set up more quickly, creating a hard edge. I mixed quite a bit of paint so I wouldn't have to stop in the middle, took a deep breath and painted like there was no tomorrow. I was nervous, this was my last "hemmed" silk blank, if this didn't work, I wouldn't have a shawl. I then watched it dry with fingers crossed.

The color came out nice and even. I pulled it off the horses and heat set it with an iron, then another soaking to soften it a bit.

And it matches, not perfect but close enough! My husband thinks I'm totally obsessive - I wonder why he would think that!

Signing off for now.

It's Done, It's Delivered, TA...DA!

I just returned from Atlanta to deliver the gown, have a final fitting/tweaking and some celebration time. I had a hard time with the bustle, the final thing to do. I read everything I could, talked to my expert friend, but it's so individual to each dress and how it fits the bride. I had to do this final step in Atlanta so off I went, Bernina under 1 arm, gown under the other. The dress had to be on a body and just "played" with to see the best place to pull it up to bustle.
The outer lace had to be attached to the charmeuse underneath so they worked as "one" without pulling. Soooooo - remember the little thread crochets, the ones you do with your fingers. They worked perfect. I made them @ 1 1/2" long and attached the outer lace to the underneath layer at various points on the train and back of dress.

There are many different ways to bustle a gown but I decided to use the button and thread loop method. The flounce or "bustle is then folded in and less obvious which appealed to me. I first thought of attaching ribbons and tyeing them from the inside but that left the bustle folded out which was bulky.

I'm all thumbs when it comes to sewing buttons on. I really love the ones with holes in them so you can do them by machine, but these are shank style, silk covered buttons I purchased.

The border lace was one of the last things to do. I think it adds a lot of softness to the edge.

And the back - this is my favorite part of the gown. It's a "Chapel" train, which is a fairly short train and so pretty.

So it's done, we're both so happy and we celebrated with some great "girly time".

And I want to add how much I've loved taking this journey with you. It's been a roller coaster ride of emotions but one with a good ending. I've so appreciated the comments and emails along the way, it was perfect timing, when I needed to hear something positive or get a pat on the back - so thank you. I'll post lots and lots of pictures after the big day - May 15th. Pray for sunshine, it's a garden wedding!

Til next time

Almost Done

YES! There's an end in sight. My daughter will walk down the aisle with a finished gown, that fits and doesn't fall down, lace not falling off, a hem that's straight, a bustle that bustles! I'm excited, relieved,..... happy and a small part of me a little sorry to see this monumental project behind me. I'm working on the Bridal veil now which originally was to be very simple - a half day job, quick and easy - 1..2..3. BUT then we decided it needed lace on the edge and what good is lace if it's not beaded! Getting off track, this scenario reminds me of the many "Mafia" movies we've watched (My husband was an FBI agent who worked organized crime). Our all time favorite line and used often around our house is "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in" said in a very heavy New York accent. I found myself laughing to myself saying almost the same thing. Just when I thought I was done, they pull me back in.
Well the beading does make it beautiful, so back to the beading table for a little while longer!
The veil was cut out twice - once before it was to have lace
and another after pinning the lace and realizing it would be difficult to attach with it so close to the edge. So having bought lots of extra tulle, I cut veil # 2 - marked the finished edge with a Sharpie and cut @ 6" beyond the edge

making it easier to put in a hoop for sewing (pin marks the middle).

Then came the beading.

I am counting how many beads I have left. I'm not wanting to order any more and not figuring on beading the veil has left me without beads for "wiggle room". Each one is precious now as I scour my studio for those that have fallen off or under the tables.

After it is beaded, I trim the edge to the shape of the appliques and attach it to the comb.

This morning I sent it off to Atlanta - safe travels sweet Bridal Veil. 

Another Wedding Dream

My daughter had another dream about her wedding gown. It made me laugh so hard and very thankful it was only a dream. When we first talked about my making the dress, I did remember saying - you know, it won't be perfect but I'll do my best.
Apparently that thought stayed with Jill. She dreamt the day of the wedding, she realized she forgot to pick out bridesmaid dresses AND she had not yet seen the wedding gown. I, the mom and maker of said gown was keeping it as the ultimate surprise for her. I brought it out - a big smile on my face and there it was in all it's glory - Bright Purple with gold stripes and BIG PUFFY sleeves!

But mom she said in an almost hysterical voice it's not what I expected and it's purple and has gold on it to which I replied.....
I told you honey, it wasn't going to be perfect!

Bits and Pieces

I have come to realize in my posts about the wedding gown - it's come together in bits and pieces, a pattern piece here
part of the muslin shell there

tidbits of lace

parts of it laid out

The cutting

The pressing

The joining

The boning

And the beading - all in bits and pieces. It reminds me of a story I heard years ago - yes, another story, but one I've always loved - another wedding gown story told in "Bits and Pieces". Years ago I was in the Embroiderer's Guild of America in the Coral Springs, FL chapter. It was a wonderful guild and probably one I learned the most from. We were invited to do an exhibit at the Henry Flagler Mansion in Palm Beach, FL. Henry Flagler was a railroad tycoon and his wealth had secured him a beautiful mansion, now open to the public for tours. We were asked that our exhibit fill their ballroom - what an honor! In conjunction with this exhibit, the head of the Royal School of Needlearts in England was coming over on a multi-purpose trip, part of which was to launch this exhibit, give lectures at the museum and in general meet and greet many of us. She was a lovely lady, very talented herself and also knowledgeable in the field of all needlearts. The Royal School of Needlearts was the school responsible for making Princess Diana's wedding gown and she had so many stories to tell us. Not only was the "gown" a top priority but also a top secret. Many different "groups of people" made the gown. There was the "sleeve construction sewers", those who worked on the bodice, beaders who did just the beading, people who made the train and the borders and the lining and so on. Each section was isolated from the other and all seamstresses had to sign a paper stating they wouldn't reveal anything about their "part". I'm not sure how or when the whole thing came together and was revealed but I found the story fascinating.

My daughter's gown is almost done. It's been wonderful experience, many new techniques that I've had to learn and without a doubt a roller coaster of emotions, self doubts and pats on the back. It's probably not something I would do again but so happy to have taken this journey with all of you. I'm anxious to show how all the "bits and pieces" have come together. The wedding is May 15th - so right around the corner. Stay tuned!

Beading and Blurry Eyed

I'm up to the the point of beading the Wedding gown. It's time consuming but also very therapeutic. I can see why people like to do this. I placed my order for beads - the Swarovski crystals and pearls in both white and parchment. It's a really pretty mix on the lace. I know I'm obsessive but I just had to know how many beads were going on this gown. I ordered 25 packages of crystals (48 to a package) and 36 strands of pearls (100 to a strand) which totals 4,800 beads + the samples I ordered initially which I'm using - so probably over 5,000 beads. If anyone would have told me ahead of time, I'ld be sewing that many beads on this gown, I would have fainted on the spot"!
You would think that many beads would weigh the lace down, but not so. They came in a "teeny tiny" box and weighed next to nothing.

The border lace (removed in the beginning) was easy as it was so portable. I scanned the lace (below) so I could have a reference to plan the beading sequence.

I marked red for pearls and blue for crystals. This was the only place I could do a repeat which was  nice - a no brainer kind of thing.

I thought about scanning the other motifs throughout the gown,

but that didn't work as far as working up a beading plan. That was because I used different combinations of motifs each time I beaded an area. Instead, I outlined the area in black thread to make it more visual for me to see.

I laid the lace part of the gown on the floor (on a huge sheet) and marked off areas for beading in black thread. I took into account the way the beading would flow into the next area.

I put the lace on the dressform to see how it would look on a body. I know it's not smart to mark in a dark thread as the lint from the thread catch in the fibers and be obvious. But I used a good quality thread (less lint), did a single thread basting and a very loose stitch through the lace. It was easy to remove. It was also a great visual to see exactly where the beading would go.

As each area is completed, I've removed the basting thread with a big smile - one more down. I must say, it's coming out very pretty, I think the beading makes the gown. A downside is my eyes get so "blurry eyed" from doing such fine work; I do have to take lots of breaks.

I have a new appreciation for people who do this kind of work - for me it is definitely a "Labor of Love".

Back to the beading board.

Hope you're loving this wonderful, sunny weekend!

Up to my Knees in Net

One of the things I need to make for the gown is a "horsehair" slip. I've searched and searched for horsehair only to find out they don't use it anymore - too stiff, too uncomfortable. Net is the way to go so off to the fabric store for some netting. Most ready made gowns have a slip attached. I decided to do a detached one for several reasons. A friend who makes wedding gowns said for easier storage, use a detached one. Also the possibility of a slip pulling on the lining is eliminated when it's detached. And the bottom line for me - just plain easier. I used a very light lining fabric for the slip and a simple A-line pattern so very few seams. If this pattern looks dated to you, it is, close to 40 years old (and notice the price of $1) and yes it's the pattern for my own wedding gown. Some things are hard to part with. I just never thought I would be using it again, ever!
After sewing up the lining seams, I measured a certain amount down from the waistline. The fullness had to start a little below the hips. After marking with pins, I used the longest machine stitch to mark the line. I did this at the hip and also 15" up from the hem as there are 2 flounces to attach.

I cut out 4 panels of net, each one @ 32" long for the main flounce and 4 panels of net (14" long) for the bottom flounce. The panels for each section were sewn together to make a tube. The "marked lines" on the lining (both sets) were divided into 4 sections also. A large basting stitch was sewn across the top of the net panels on both sets. It's easiest to work in sections so each set of basting threads started and ended with a panel. The top of the panel was pinned - beginning and end to the lining section and using the basting thread, drawn up to fit into the space. Then using pins every inch, I pinned like crazy to hold the gathered net to the lining.

I have to say...working with net was the "the pits", full of static when attaching to a synthetic lining and all over the place and quite prickly! I kept thinking through this whole process, I'm glad no one in the family ever wanted to be a ballerina and I had to make costumes. Anyway, if I ever entertain the notion of working with net again - Just Shoot Me! What started out in my mind as a simple job, turned into a whole day affair, but it's over and done and looks pretty good. (Isn't that ridiculous! below)

I sewed the net in place with a narrow zigzag stitch. One of the things that really helped in handling all this net was the little tool you see below.

One of my students gave it to me years ago and I cherish it. I've found more ways to use it and working with it here it was a great. It held the net so the needle could catch where I wanted it to.

So the slip is now on the dressform. You can see the bottom flounce which is underneath the top layer.

and the top layer.

I really needed to have the slip done before going further,  to see how the gown would hang. Jill is coming this weekend for fittings and fun, can't wait.