Pleats

I had a day off today so started working on the pleats. Here's what I've ended up with:

I'm using the foundation layer as my base as the cotton and the dress net are more durable, and can withstand a lot of pinning! So I have now basted the one side (as above) of the front drape, and cut out some organza to underline the piece (with pleats on the dupion layer only, and organza flat). 

In case anyone is interested, I started off with this:

So I used a large piece of tissue paper to try out the desired effects. With the front drape detail of the LBD-simplicity 2251 dress, I found this a lot less daunting so I could vizualise the whole thing better. 


With lots of pins in, and once I was happy with what I saw, I cut off the excess paper and marked the tissue paper with key things. 

And then... well, I decided that I wanted the one-sided skirt to go the other way round! Only if I thought of this properly before I started pleating the tissue paper. Anyway, this small crisis was easily solved by using the wrong side of the tissue paper as my pattern. 

After I told myself about 10 times that 'it's just fabric', I finally had the courage to cut into the beautiful dupion. I cut it on the bias as I think this would benefit the drape. I left a lot of excess on all sides (and this explains why the front skirt doesn't look perfect yet) just in case! 

Then I started pleating with the dupion on the dress form. It was relatively simple, just needed a bit of patience. After trial and error, I was finally happy with the result so I pinned everything to keep the pleats in place and to mark the stitching lines. 

Following my questions re how to underline this on Pattern Review, I decided to go with the method of not pleating the organza. So after I basted the pleats in place, I used the resulting dupion piece as a guide to cut out the organza for the underlining. and the hand basting begins... (and yet to be finished).

Now I'm getting really impatient! As I can see how this will all come together and what the finished product will be like, I just can't wait to make it happen!

What's left to do for the wedding dress

With less than 5 months to go before the wedding, it's time to focus on my wedding dress again, especially as I would like to finish it a couple of months before the wedding... 


So I pulled together a list of what's left to do, and needless to say, the list goes on and on and on and on and on...

• Try out front drape (the large piece that goes from bodice to skirt)
• Decide how to underline the drape (whether to pleat the organza or keep it flat to which the dupion will attach)
• Cut into the fabric (argh!)
• Pleat and stablise the pleats with organza selvages
• Try out the smaller piece of drape
• Cut into the fabric to make the smaller piece
• Sew drapes into side seams of the dress
• Press seams and catch stitch all seams
• Decide on how to assemble all layers with different closures
• Cut dupion to make lining for the corselette
• Make lining for corselette
• Hand finish all edges for the lining and catch stitch
• Assemble all layers other than corselette lining at the neckline
• Assemble to the corselette lining
• Understitch
• Attach hook and eye tape to corselette
• Make modesty panel
• Attach modesty panel to outer layer
• Make loops for lace-up
• Make laces
• Fitting, fitting, fitting
• Attach loops!
• Hem with horsehair braid
• Press it and that's it! 

Bouquet attempt #3

I was rather stressed last week so my lovely fiancé bought me some flowers. About a week later, I think the roses are getting towards the end of their lives so I used them to practise on my bouquet again. I think the result is better than the first two attempts, and I feel more comfortable not getting a florist now. 


Anyway here are some photos (I was trying out the different apps on my new iphone!)

 So I used 18 long stem yellow roses, about 1m long of sheer yellow ribbon, 3 bridal/lace (very thin) pins and 3 pearl headed pins. Nothing too crazy! I also had some gardening gloves (long story but I was stabbed by an evil rose prick once and was on antibiotics for a week... so wanted to protect myself) and secateurs  which came in handy. Happy to share how to do this if anyone is interested (but as there are lots of tutorials out there, I thought I won't spend too long waffling about the details). 


As compared to the last attempt, I thought the fuller flowers here worked better (note to self - the roses were about 1 week old so I should get plenty of roses about 6/7 days before the wedding) as they gave the bouquet a better shape. I'm not sure whether to use yellow or pink as yet (my other half bought me some pink roses yesterday! as he thought I may want to see if a mixed colour bouquet would work - bless him! p.s. pink and 'citrus' is our colour theme) but as you can see from the picture above, the pink ones are not quite ready yet so perhaps I will make them into bouquets next week instead :) 

2251 finished!

OK I know I said in the last post that I was not going to finish all the hand sewing for now, but the amount of fraying drove me crazy so I couldn't help but hand finished all the seams... and now the zipper is in, hem finished and seams done, we have the finished product. Voila!

I'm really happy with how it's turned out. I love the fabric - I had this in mind when I bought the silk chiffon and it's turned out exactly as I pictured it. It's comfortable to wear (albeit being tight fitted) as it's really light and the fabric is lovely and soft. and I'm glad the drape was not too tricky to work with which has really helped me build my confidence with the drape for the wedding dress :) 

Simplicity 2251 - LBD?

Before Xmas, I mentioned the drape that I was going to make on the front of the wedding dress. To familiarise myself with how this would work, I had a go at Simplicity 2251 which is the closest pattern that I could find. 


I had this in mind when buying the fabrics, so I ended up with:

• 1m of white/black silk chiffon with butterflies (for the drape)
• 1.2m of black silky material - I think it's viscose  but it's nice and shiny and very comfortable to wear!
• silk habotai lining. 

Here's a photo of it as a work in progress. I'm yet to finish the hem and all the seams - as the fabric frays A LOT, I'm going to hand finish all the seams... but maybe after all the hand sewing for the wedding dress is finished first. Priorities!

I haven't made many alterations to the pattern (thankfully I'm usually a standard Simplicity size 6), but then again I haven't followed the steps in order. A couple of thoughts when I made the dress in case it's helpful:

1. The pattern called for interlining for the neckline on the wrong side of the lining. I'm not sure how much this add - personally I prefer to use silk organza selvages to stablise the bias. 
2. I had a 'tube turner' gadget that is supposed to help me turn straps inside out easily... but it didn't work! However the trick explained in the pattern is really useful - I think I'm going to use the 'needle method' for the satin straps for the lace-up back of the wedding dress.

Once I've hemmed the dress and ironed it, I will upload some more photos of the finished product. Who knows, if it turns out well, maybe that can be the dress that I wear to our summer ball this year?