So You Want To Be A Fashion Industrialist?

I like to sew. I took my first sewing class in high school when such classes were available as electives within the “Home Economics” course of study. It’s true, I offered to make the bridesmaids’ gowns as a Plan B…or C. I had expected the four girls to spend months searching for gowns. I thought they’d be happily trying on hundreds of gowns. Imagine my surprise when, a mere month after beginning their search, having tried on just over a dozen gowns, they returned to say they hadn’t found what they wanted in the shops and would like me to go ahead and make the dresses! Where was their youthful exuberance for shopping?! Despite my initial trepidation, I can say that they are very sensible girls who, rather than frivol away their time (and mine), very efficiently did all the research necessary before coming to me. With this little preamble out of the way, let me offer some suggestions to the bride who wants to make her own clothing for her wedding.

Time. Allow plenty of time plus a little extra to make each garment. I know I’m beginning to sound like a broken record on this point but it’s the single most important piece of advice I can offer. Plenty of time allows for making mistakes and fixing them. Plenty of time means there is time to take a day off once in awhile to rest and still get the job done and done well.

If you are an intermediate sewer like I am and you own a sewing machine and a serger, I suggest allowing three to four weeks per garment. Now, I knew I could knock out three bridesmaids’ dresses over three weekends, but I wanted to be able to enjoy making them and not come away hating the very sight of hunter green. I also deliberately overestimated the time to allow for fittings. My nieces would not be at my beck and call so it was necessary to allow time for them to fit me into their schedule.

Goals. Set construction goals for yourself and stick to them! I basically made a deal with my family that I would start making the bridesmaids’ gowns in August and be done by Thanksgiving. Three dresses would be done and I could enjoy the holidays. :)  I also made a promise to myself to do a little work on the dresses every day of the week except Sunday, which I took off. Whether it was stitching a seam or running a hemline, I didn’t try to do everything everyday but I did try to do something everyday.

Patterns. Even if the same dress pattern is being used for all the dresses, buy one pattern per person. This way you can adjust, mark up, and cut up the pattern to fit each individual. You don’t have to keep it in one piece to use for the next garment and there’s no confusion about whose marks are whose. If you don’t use a pattern, fabric stores will generally accept returns. Keep your receipts!

Shoes. This is really only important for floor-length gowns but it’s absolutely crucial that each girl be wearing her wedding day shoes when you measure for hem length. Maybe this sounds like a given but I’m going to include it here as a reminder. It’s these little details that get overlooked and can cause trouble later on.

Undergarments. Yes, I’m mentioning unmentionables because we had a few issues with them. Dress straps may need to be adjusted to cover bra straps. Some undergarments slenderize but others, especially those with stays, may add inches to waistlines. It’s important for each bridesmaid to be wearing what she’ll be wearing on The Day before taking measurements.

Test Run. Make a muslin mock-up of the bodice to adjust the pattern for fit. A bodice that is too loose or too tight is never flattering, but a well-fitted bodice will ensure that the wearer looks her best and is comfortable too. You don’t need to make the entire dress from muslin but making the bodice will allow you to adjust the pattern before cutting into your special fabric. And, speaking for myself, I appreciated the “practice run” on the pattern.

Garment bags. Purchase some inexpensive garment bags and sturdy hangers on which to hang each dress. This will keep them clean and easy to store until The Day. I pinned loops of ribbon onto the seam allowance inside the bodice with safety pins and hung the dresses from them to prevent the shoulder straps from stretching. These were easily removed when the dress was being worked on or worn.

I will stop here for now. Tomorrow – more about our particular choice in bridesmaids’ dresses.