Tuesday 4 November 2014

Wedding Dress Fancy Work

My wedding dress is taking shape. It has a bodice, a collar and sleeves. The sewing gods approve of my upcoming nuptials for both sleeves set correctly the first time, no unpicking required!
I have been doing a lot of fancy work on top half of the dress.

The first photograph is a sleeve in the flat. Rows of insertion, and rows of pintucks finished with lace edging on the hem. All lace is my grandma's; the insertion was rolled up in a box with other insertion and ribbons, neatly labelled. It is honouring to be able to use her notions like this. I am going to visit her tomorrow with handsewing to do, so we will be able to discuss my sewing, and the wedding. It is lovely to be able to still share this with her in a way, though she is increasingly having trouble remembering.

My collar also is indebted to Mama. The lace edging is again from her collection, so is the transfer, from a Semco transfer book named "Small Sprays". There was two, and it is  mirror imaged on the other side of the collar. I am assuming the book dates from the 1940s or 1950s. I embroidered on the way to and from uni, making use of my long commute. Handwork is a great love of mine. I have done it for many years now, and it is so therapeutic.



I will most likely share more detail shots of the dress as it comes together, but I won't do a full shot until I can reveal the wedding photos. Only a little over a month now.

8 comments:

  1. Wowsers! This looks amazing! I am in awe of anybody who would make their wedding dress. Good luck with it!

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    1. Thankyou! It is daunting, just glad it doesn't involve bustles, trains or boning

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  2. This is amazing! I can't wait to read more about it as I'm trying to make my wedding dress as well. I feel like this bonds us because we're making our wedding dresses around the same time. I'm still in the planning and gathering stages though.

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    1. Thankyou! Best of luck with yours as well. When is your wedding? Mine is in four weeks, and I really only started on the dress properly this week. The planning took the longest time

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  3. It looks like it is coming along beautifully! I am sure you will look stunning!

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  4. Great work, this will look amazing.

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    1. Thanks! I'm really happy with how it's coming together

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  5. Such beautiful embroidery. I love that you used your commute! My colleagues don't get how jealous I am of their long journeys. I would totally use that for sewing!! :-)

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