The Bridesmaid Dress Saga

I think I might be about ready to talk about THE BRIDESMAID DRESS SAGA.

I had just the two bridesmaids, my sister, and my husband’s sister. If I’d have had anymore than that I think trying to make their dresses as well as my own, plus everything else I DIY-ed in the end, it would have been nigh on impossible in just the 10.5 months we had. But I’m sure I would have gone for it regardless.

I was extremely lucky to have two lovely ladies who were perfectly happy to wear a dress I was going to make them, long before they knew what it would look like, or the amount of prodding and poking it would entail. I decided on navy blue for the colour early on, and I knew I wanted them to have a full 50’s style circle skirt with a petticoat like mine, only shorter. I toyed with the idea of the Betty pattern from Sew Over It, but decided I wanted something a bit more occasion-dress like for the bodice, and they weren’t sure on a boatneck style. The Collette Macaron was also a contender, but in the end we plumped for Salme Patterns Yoke Dress, and that’s really where things started to go a bit wrong.

 

I used the link I was sent to print out my pattern, but decided to only print out the bits I needed, as I always do. I was aware there was a limit to how many times you could access the pattern link before it expired, but I didnt realise there was also a time period of just 3 months. (mostly because the other side of the pond y’all love to put dates the wrong way round and 4/12/16 to me is the 4^th December….) So I had the pattern, but no instructions. I figured I could email them and beg for them to send me the instructions only again. I sent two emails, commented on a blog post, tweeted them. Nothing. So then I figured I’d just have to make do, surely I’ve been sewing long enough now that I can manage without.

The pattern doesn’t include seam allowances, but I found it entirely confusing for there to be some places to not add any, and one place where I had to add an inch. Really I think it would have been better to include them. There were no notches on the pattern. Given that it involves sewing a difficult curved seam I think that’s kinda ridiculous.

Sizing was difficult. Both of my girls are pretty short, but well endowed in certain areas so I had to grade between several pattern sizes in one case. To be honest the choice of pattern, one with waist darts, rather than princess seams like my own, was never going to fit closely as I was trying to make it. I did a bodice toile for each of them, then a full mock up in polycotton, then the actual thing. Even then I ended up redoing the top chiffon section on one 3times, (once I managed to sew the wrong girls upper bodice pattern piece to the dress!) and both ended up having to have the opaque neckline lowered as a couple of centimetres too high made it look frumpy.

The satin fabric I used was from Bridal Fabrics, who have an amazing selection. It was actually a polyester satin called ‘Contessa’ but didn’t feel cheap at all. I spent hours pouring over different fabric colours online and ordering samples and this ended up being the perfect Navy blue, not too dark, or too close to royal blue. It was also non-snag which was a godsend when I was ripping sections out to start again. The chiffon was cationic (not a clue what that means) chiffon from the Remnant House, and matched the satin colour perfectly.

In the end I did managed to get them done with around three weeks to spare, which although pretty good for me is much later than the 2 months beforehand I had originally planned for. Did they fit perfectly? No. But when it came to it I was much happier with them then I thought I would be. They looked pretty close to perfect, they suited both of them, and they seemed to really enjoy swishing about the dancefloor in their full skirts and petticoats (who wouldn’t?!) In hindsight, if I was to rewind the last 6 months and do them again, I’d use Simplicity 4070, the same bodice I used for my own dress, and draft an overlay myself.

And although I hate to be negative about a pattern, especially an indie pattern company, I just wouldn’t recommend the yoke dress. As an idea, its gorgeous, but the actual pattern is lacking a few things to help, and the support just doesn’t seem to be there from the pattern company itself if you get stuck.

I don't have many photos at the moment so will update this post when the professional pics come in!

 

Emily Kate