Pictures and beginning alterations

Here are those promised pictures of the dress post cleaning. I was so eager to hack into the dress that I almost forgot snap them!

It’s amazing what cleaning and pressing will do for a dress! It alreasy seems so new. I tried it on right after eating one of the biggest burgers I’ve ever seen though,  so it was an uncomfortable squeeze. Lesson one: no binge eating day before the wedding.

The more I look at the side profile the less I like it, so I’m going to work on putting in princess seams so the dress doesn’t squish my bust as much.

My maid of honor came down for the weekend ans helped me start the initial changes. We removed the fabric from the sleeves, took the skirt off the bodice, and marked roughly where I want the new neckline.

The biggest thing we accomplished this weekend was finding fabric for the front panel. I’d ordered about ten samples from different online places and there were a few that I thought might work, but it’s so hard to judge fabric based on a small piece of fabric, so we went to Joanns and tried a few different things.

Initially we got an ivory satin which looked right in the store, but then when we got it back to the house it was too dingy.

A second Joanns run produced white lace to put over the ivory which made it the right color:

And then also some white stretch satin that Mau be a bit brighter than the skirt – I have yet to check it in more natural light.

See my crazy dress strewn around the fabric store? I had to borrow a table and drape the fabric all over the place.

I’ve found that people are really supportive and also think I’m insane when I tell them my maid of honor and I are remaking a vintage gown. The woman cutting fabric asked me if I was serious when I  said I wanted to buy the entire lining bolt, and when I told her I needed it for a wedding dress I thought her eyes were going to fall out of her head.

Another woman overheard my MOH and I trying to match fabric for the dress, she talked to us for about ten minutes about her wedding and her dress. She even gave me a coupon so I could get my fabric cheaper 🙂

So here we go! There’s no turning back now; the dress is in shreads in my closet and it’s all transformation from here!

Remake or bust, everybody.