Friday, June 13, 2014

June MAGAM project Done - My DIY Wedding Dress is Done!

I finally finished my DIY wedding dress! Yoohoo! Good thing I chose a sewing pattern (Vogue 2237) that was rated as 'Average'. If I had tried to make anything that says 'Advanced', I would still be tearing out my hair! LOL! Here are the pics of the final product:


It's not the most elaborate wedding dress but I like simple styles. The fit at the back is a bit tight but the front looked okay. If I was actually using this dress for my wedding (as opposed to just a photo shoot), I would definitely add straps as this dress tends to slide down a little bit, revealing the top of my strapless bra. Perhaps I'll just use a safety pin and pin the dress to the bra! Also, the length is a wee bit short in the front. It's great for walking but for a photo shoot, an inch longer would have been nicer.  I guess I can always wear a lower heel too.

Vogue 2237 is a great pattern. It's not difficult to sew but has a nice style. It's a Badgley Mischka pattern that was published in 2001. For some reason, I haven't seen many stylish and simple evening wear sewing patterns like this recently.





The pattern calls for 'Crepe and Faille' fabrics which would make the dress more drapey (you can see the drape of the dress on the pattern envelope). I chose a heavy dull satin which doesn't drape as well but gives me a nice slight A-line shape below the hips, which I think balances out my broad upper body. I used a 100% cotton broadcloth for the lining which made cutting and sewing much easier than the 'China Silk' that the pattern calls for.


 I was worried about the fit in case I lose or gain weight between now and the photo shoot. So I decided to use a trick I employed when I was designing costumes for a local theatre group. I sewed the lining as an underlining for the front, serged the edges and then sewed the back the same way. The last seams I joined were the side seams. This gave me the flexibility to increase/decrease the side seam allowance to fit my body. I tacked the dress hem to the lining hem by hand.

For the foundation I used the same 'heavy dull satin' and lined it with the same cotton broadcloth. I boned the dress in the foundation as per the sewing instructions. The dress is quite heavy because of the heavy fabrics I used - no wonder it's sliding down!

All in all, I'm satisfied with this dress and this pattern. I would highly recommend it if you already have this in your stash. This dress has a stylish shape and I think one doesn't need to have fancy lace or beading to make this 'regal' looking.

Here are some more photos with the veil, bouquet and some jewelry. It was the same veil from years ago - I made that veil then too! And the same bouquet I used then which my mother-in-law made for me (fake flowers are awesome that way). I also made the jewelry. I think with all the accessories, the dress
looks more 'bridal' now, don't you think? Can't wait for the photo shoot!

You can see my review of this pattern on PatternReview.com.




13 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks! It looks fine in photos. I just hope no one looks too closely at the stitching....;-)

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  2. It is very lovely - I'm so pleased it turned out well. It really does look lovely on you, the satin was a good choice and does suit your figure.

    Why not have straps that can detach - that way, you can use them if you need them.

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    1. Thanks Sarah LIz! Detachable straps sounds like a great idea! Thanks for that!

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  3. Very elegant! I love how sweet and simple it is in style but I'm sure it was not simple to get it that way.

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    1. Thanks Maureen. It's actually not a difficult pattern to sew. An Advanced Beginner can do this if one just reads the instructions carefully. I did a bedsheet muslin first to tweak the fit and I think that helps.

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  4. Congratulations!! You did a great work on your dress, it looks exactly like the pattern envelope :) I love your fabric choice too. Beautiful!!

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    1. Thanks Hana! I am actually pleasantly surprised that this pattern was not that difficult to sew and looked reasonably stylish.

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  5. Congratulations on both your dress and forthcoming marriage! Your dress is beautiful :) I made my wedding dress too in 2012. It's what got me back not sewing again. :)x

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    1. Thanks Dawn! The dress is actually for a photo shoot only. I got married years ago already! But still it's really nice to be able to make a wedding dress for myself since I wasn't able to years ago.

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  6. I'll bet your mamma is sew proud of you. I am!

    Cheers,

    Lyric

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    1. Thanks Lyric! Actually when I first started to teach myself to sew, my mom wasn't very encouraging. She is quite 'old school' and thought that one can only learn sewing through proper sewing classes in a school setting. But now she is much more accepting of my sewing progress.

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  7. I know this is a older Post but I just had to comment. Ilove this dress. IthinkI it is beautiful. I'm going to make this dress for me,but I'm going to add black lace trim to the bustline and the Hem. Im also going to make train longer. What do you think?

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