The Big Day!

 

 

I've been a little stuck with blog writing.  First, because the three weeks leading up to The Big Day were so busy.  Now, because it's over, it feels strange going backwards in chronology to show How I Made The Dress.  And, now that The Big Project is finished, I've been a bit adrift on What to Tackle Next (sewing-wise, at least).  So today, on our eleven-day anniversary (seriously, we've been teasing each other like this for a week now) I decided to just get back into the swing of things.

Since the most important thing is that I Finished The Dress, and I'm very happy with how it looked, I thought I would just post here some of the photos from The Big Day (and the day before).  Our professional photos aren't ready yet, other than a few sneak peeks, so mostly these are snapshots taken by family.

Final Hand-Sewing

 
I love how the blurriness conveys the sense of activity.  But I actually felt calm, I promise!

My Mom crocheted a lace border for the top of the dress

The lace, while subtle, gave The Dress just the perfect final touch!  Thanks Mom!  Your creativity has inspired me since you first taught me to hand-sew, embroider, and knit at age eight.

 

 

On the Way *Almost There*

 

This isn't me, by the way!

 

Helping Little Miss

 

I used an extra bit of ribbon as a stay at the top of the dress, but Little Miss decided it worked better as a halter strap that tied in the back.  I also re-purposed a frilly ribbon for her waist, that I had originally intended as a waistband for a tulle overskirt for my own dress.  My Mom and my sister nixed that idea.

 

Little Miss is Adorable!

 

 

Just About Ready

I decided to make a veil at the last minute (late the night before).  I attached it to two beaded hair combs I had made with gold and white freshwater pearls the week before.  Little Miss also made two hair combs for herself.  I had so much fun, I made extras for my two bridesmaids and my sister in the days before the wedding.

 

 

 The Ceremony Was Beautiful!

My Pilot picked this incredible bouquet from the garden in the morning.  I had just finished wrapping what I thought would be my bouquet when he came in with it.  I gave my roses to Little Miss. 

 

My sister brought the necklace for me; we had fun trying on all the options the day before.  She is so wonderful!

 

Two New Sisters

 



 My Parents

A Moment of Hilarity! (This always happens when I get together with my sister, or with my friends; so here, it was a guaranteed fun fest!)

 

We're Married!

It was an incredible, amazing, blessed day at Brown County State Park, Indiana!

 

 

 

Till Next Time,--Ayana



Corset Back Idea

I had another brilliant light bulb moment, folks! I decided to add a corset laced back to Little Miss' Creampuff Dress, and to my own Wedding Dress. 

I decided to do this after finding this awesome blog post with detailed instructions on how to do it. 



{Source}

The funny thing is, my original idea for my wedding dress was to start with a pre-existing corset, and add a gathered tulle skirt to it.  That would have worked, and would have been much simpler!

But then, I got bit by the sewing bug, and my imagination started running wild.  Then, I found blog posts that showed you how to draft your own corset pattern, so I experimented with making a corset-shaped top but using a zipper because I didn't want to actually cinch my waist.



{Source}

After experimenting with that for a bit, with some good results, I realized, why use a waist seam?  Just one more thing to sew!  That's how I came up with the five-panel dress that is my final design.  Now, it feels like I'm coming back around, full circle.  Isn't it funny how life works that way?

I think this will add an elegant touch to the dress, and has the additional benefit of making any fitting issues irrelevant.  As long as the style lines are in the right place, now I have a lot more wiggle room for any small errors.  And that makes me very happy right now!



{Source:  This site has a great tutorial also}

Little Miss loves this idea!  (And I love how she pronounces it cor-SET.)

Till next time,--Ayana

How to Get Creative!

What do you do if you want to be creative and make something special for your wedding day, but don't have time to sew a whole fancy dress?

When I first started on this creative journey, I had little to no sewing skills.  I hadn't touched a sewing machine in, oh, twenty years!  And the last thing I tried to make (a skirt from a commercial pattern) got me frustrated, so I never finished it.  I thought patterns were written in some kind of foreign language, so despite wanting to sew I never gave it another shot, until now.

I dusted off my mom's old sewing machine (which I'm embarrassed to say, I've had for about fifteen years now!), got it serviced, and started teaching myself!  We'll get back to that story in the next post.

But this post is about:  what if you have limited time/skills/patience, but still want to make something beautiful?  Consider making half a dress.

It is much easier to sew a gathered skirt than most people realize.  If your skills aren't up to making a fitted bodice, then why not find a beautiful fitted top and make a skirt to go with it?  If you want a more unified look, you can sew the two pieces together at the waist, or you can use a ribbon or satin sash to cover the waistband (or both).

Here's some inspiration:

 

{source}

 

 

This would be beautiful for a casual but elegant wedding, and could be more formal with a longer length (although that would require more body, and likely a petticoat to achieve the proper drape).

 

 

Here's a longer, more formal version:

 

 

 

{source}

note:  I have no experience with this seller.

 

 

You could pair a handmade tulle skirt with a fitted, strapless, corset, or bustier style top.  Wouldn't this one be lovely?:

 

 

 

{Abercrombie & Fitch}

 

 

Once you get creative, the possibilities are endless.

 

What fuels your creativity?





The Fun Part--Choosing a Style!

Today, we'll talk about some of the things you need to consider before you design your dress.  The most fun question is:  what is your style?
 
Spend some time figuring out what you like, and what looks best on you.  I recommend three ways to do this: 
 
1) Raid your closet. 

You probably already have everything you need to know!  Check out your favorite tops, skirts, and dresses to find any common themes. 

I realized that most of my favorite items have some sort of empire waist styling, and I tend to avoid very fitted skirts
 
2) Search online images and bridal collections. 

What types of fabrics, embellishments, and designs grab your attention?  Don't think too much about it--just bookmark your favorites, or pin them, so you can come back to them later.  Do you like lace, silk, tulle, ruching, gathering, peplum, A-line, mermaid, ball gown, tea length?  Embroidery, tiered skirts, applique? 

 

{source}

I discovered that I love flowing, floating designs, and ball gown skirts.  I also like tulle, contrast color waistbands, and lace.  I am open to embroidery and tasteful applique.  (Although, I have memories of tacky applique from eighth-grade home ec--yikes!)

 

{source}

3)  Ready to multiply the fun?  Try on some dresses! 

If you live near a major department store, you can do this easily without making an appointment or asking for a friend to come with you (although shopping with a friend is super fun--just sayin, some people don't like company in the dressing room).  You don't even have to shop in the bridal section, you can try on special occasion dresses with similar style lines. 

Or, you can go all out and try on gowns at bridal shops and boutiques.  You may walk away with your favorite dress in your price range, and save yourself lots of time, and end up feeling like a princess!  If you go this route, bring a friend who can take some photos for review later. 

 

{excuse the lack of hairdo/makeup}

Be prepared to be surprised!  I thought I would love the ball gown look, but after trying some on, there was just too much fabric for my petite height and curvy figure. 

So, what did I end up deciding?  The basic style lines of my design are:  strapless, empire waist bodice, gored A-line skirt with tulle overskirt.  I will attach a contrast waistband sash that curves up into the bodice. 

I may use a layer of lace over the bodice, and I may use some lace trim on the skirt.  If I find an embroidered tulle I like, that matches my contrast waistband, then I will skip the lace.  If I find some tasteful applique designs, and if I use lace, I may combine these on the bodice.  (Check out Claire's design at Errant Pear.)

Isn't this exciting?  Now you have an idea of what you want, and you can develop your design as you go.  You don't have to have everything set in stone. 

Some final questions to ask yourself:  How much time do you have?  We'll talk about how to figure this out, and some other creative options that don't involve a huge project, next time.

What do you think, readers?  What are your favorite style lines?

Happy designing!

Welcome to Sassafras Row!

Join me on a journey of creativity.  

The first project:  A wedding dress.

On October 18th, 2013, I will marry my love and life partner.  What better way to express my commitment and dedication to our future, than to create something beautiful with my own hands?

After trying on some wedding dresses in my budget, I realized that while I liked the styles I found, I hated the fabrics.  They looked cheap, and therefore I didn't feel that they expressed my excitement and joy for the occasion.  I looked at catalogues and photos and realized: a wedding dress is special when it is made specially for the wearer, a wedding dress is beautiful when it fits perfectly and is made of beautiful fabric, a wedding dress consists of a fitted bodice and a more or less flowing skirt.  Suddenly an idea began forming.  I could make my own dress!  

There was just one problem. I didn't know how to sew.   


This blog will show you how I learned, while providing all of you with ideas, inspiration, encouragement, and techniques to create your own.

Ready, set, let's learn!