Holly: March 2011 Archives
One step forward, and then a holding point while we do some R&D.
After our fitting of the muslin, I took the mock-up dress apart, made the needed alterations, and used those altered pieces pattern for cutting the dupioni Carole selected for her dress.
Here is a snap of one of the alterations as I mark it on the fabric. The beauty of a muslin is that it is totally fine if you draw right on it with a sharpie. Hooray!
After all needed changes have been marked, the pieces are taken apart and ironed out. Then I review all my markings.
I make all the alterations, and then I lay out the pieces on the fashion fabric for cutting time. I must apologize for the washed-out nature of this photo - it's hard to amp up the contrast when you're shooting ivory on ivory!
Once the dress was assembled (unhemmed and sans embellishments), Carole popped by for another fitting. It fit her like a glove . . . but . . .
We're rethinking the waistline. Even though things sometimes seem good in the muslin stage, there is always a chance that once the garment wearer sees the actual garment made out of the actual fabric, their mind changes. And that's totally ok! It's part of the process. There is a strong trend right now for fitted bodices to have a relatively high waist compared to recent years, but that doesn't mean it's for everyone. You want your client/friend/daughter/sister to feel confident and beautiful on her wedding day, and that means finding just the right fit that they can wear with ease.
The real lesson here is one of timing. We have been on this project early enough that re-working the bodice is not a dramatic event. We have plenty of time to cut a second bodice with a slightly lower waistline.
So, for my next trick, I will make a new bodice!
People often ask me about the process of creating custom bridal wear. Every project is different, but there are a handful of steps that must be followed with every gown. Lucky for me, I am currently working on a dress for my longtime friend Carole, and she is graciously allowing me to share our development of her gown with you.
This first installment is not exactly going to register high on the glamor meter. It's muslin time!
Carole and I met and discussed the style of dress she wanted. She is a modern girl and didn't want to go with a traditional long gown, and the first and most important feature that she wants is (drum roll please): POCKETS! She was very clear on this issue.
That's my kind of girl. She knows what she wants!
Carole also brought me several photos of dresses she liked, and once we narrowed down our choices, we were off to the races. So I put together a muslin using some basic bodice and skirt slopers I have in my library, and we had our first fitting.
The muslin, in case you are not familiar with the term, is a first version of the garment made in an inexpensive fabric (usually muslin -- surprise! -- which is where the name comes from). This is used to test the fit of the base pattern and make adjustments as needed. Once you have your muslin assembled and adjusted, you can take it apart to use as your final pattern.
Here a few snaps from our initial fitting:
First, the lovely bride. Say "hello" to the people, Carole!
The first place that needed to be adjusted was the shoulders. They need to fit her frame a little more snugly.
Then, the back of the bodice needed to be marked for shortening.
Here you can see a full view of the back, including the lazy zipper insertion. Since this is a garment made to be taken apart, it makes more sense to drop in a zipper without any finishing than to set it in beautifully. The final garment will have an invisible zipper.
Now the lovely bride waits while I prep the first test in her real fabric, a beautiful dupioni. Stay tuned to see things develop!
This first installment is not exactly going to register high on the glamor meter. It's muslin time!
Carole and I met and discussed the style of dress she wanted. She is a modern girl and didn't want to go with a traditional long gown, and the first and most important feature that she wants is (drum roll please): POCKETS! She was very clear on this issue.
That's my kind of girl. She knows what she wants!
Carole also brought me several photos of dresses she liked, and once we narrowed down our choices, we were off to the races. So I put together a muslin using some basic bodice and skirt slopers I have in my library, and we had our first fitting.
The muslin, in case you are not familiar with the term, is a first version of the garment made in an inexpensive fabric (usually muslin -- surprise! -- which is where the name comes from). This is used to test the fit of the base pattern and make adjustments as needed. Once you have your muslin assembled and adjusted, you can take it apart to use as your final pattern.
Here a few snaps from our initial fitting:
First, the lovely bride. Say "hello" to the people, Carole!
The first place that needed to be adjusted was the shoulders. They need to fit her frame a little more snugly.
Then, the back of the bodice needed to be marked for shortening.
Here you can see a full view of the back, including the lazy zipper insertion. Since this is a garment made to be taken apart, it makes more sense to drop in a zipper without any finishing than to set it in beautifully. The final garment will have an invisible zipper.
Now the lovely bride waits while I prep the first test in her real fabric, a beautiful dupioni. Stay tuned to see things develop!
