Custom Wedding Gown Finale!

Back in the summer we began creating a custom wedding gown. The original design of the dress was an "a line" dress, straight neckline, and long sleeves. As the dress took shape and fittings were done, the design gradually evolved. The neckline was changed to a slight sweet heart shape, a pleated sash was added to define the waistline, simple beading was added to the bodice and a pick up to the back of the dress. These design elements helped give this dress the simple elegance our bride wanted. After adding those elements we all agreed that more beading on the bodice would be stunning and a beaded train would add the finishing touch. It was amazing to see the transformation this dress took. The bride loved it and it was perfect for her autumn wedding day!

Instructional Video - How to Sew an Invisible Zipper into a Dress

Sewing an invisible zipper in a dress has never been so easy. Our instructional video will walk you through it step by step. Let us know if you have any other suggestions for instructional videos you would like to see.

Royal Wedding Dress in Detail...

Being seamstresses, I couldn't help but look at many pictures of the wedding dress of Kate Middleton, now Duchess of Cambridge. It was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. I loved all the detail. The intricate lace handwork on the bodice and sleeves gave the dress a traditional feminine look.
 
The Design:
The lace appliqué for the bodice and skirt was hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace.  The lace design was hand-engineered (appliquéd) using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique, which originated in Ireland in the 1820s.  Individual flowers have been hand-cut from lace and hand-engineered onto ivory silk tulle to create a unique and organic design, which incorporates the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock.
Hand-cut English lace and French Chantilly lace has been used throughout the bodice and skirt, and has been used for the underskirt trim.  With laces coming from different sources, much care was taken to ensure that each flower was the same colour.  The whole process was overseen and put together by hand by Ms Burton and her team.
The dress is made with ivory and white satin gazar.  The skirt echoes an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats.  The train measures two metres 70 centimetres.  The ivory satin bodice, which is narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips, draws on the Victorian tradition of corsetry and is a hallmark of Alexander McQueen’s designs.  The back is finished with 58 gazar and organza covered buttons fastened by Rouleau loops.  The underskirt is made of silk tulle trimmed with Cluny lace.

Click here to find out more about the dress.

I was very inspired to make a dress with some of the different details that I saw. If you are a bride who is looking for a wedding dress that has any of these different details, let us know and we would be happy to create your dream...

Check out the lace detail!

Also the little girl bridesmaids dresses were very cute! I loved the how the little girls dresses were pleated on the skirt and had a trim at the bottom. The puff sleeves were adorable! The sashes were also pleated along the length...very nice detail!