# Did you make your own Wedding Dress?



## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

or other's wedding dress?


I made mine, it was simple - I'll have to take a photo of it. It cost me all of about $42 back in 1971. White crepe with some lace trim. VERY 1970 style. Empire waist, jewel neck line inset, long sleeves, slightly gathered skirt. 

Since then I've made more than I can remember, I'd have to think hard. I do have a photo of the last one I made

This is the bride and the last dress... she gave me a sketch and told me what she wanted. The best compliment was "It's better than I ever dreamed".



And here's a photo of bride and groom leaving (I made all the clothes for both of them)

Photo will not resize right now. So, here's the small version


(I'll try to make it bigger later)


NOW, did you make your wedding dress or others?

Angie


came back to add this = I think it's a great photo of them - since that other photo will not enlarge to show the going away clothes.... so here's another added...




The girl in red with gold sleeves is bride's sister and that's what the Bridesmaids wore


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## Country Lady (Oct 2, 2003)

Oh, that is beautiful. No, I didn't make mine. It was so long ago, I don't remember why I didn't. Maybe I gained more confidence in my sewing abilities through the years.


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

definitely not! I've come a long way with sewing since then. A dear friend did make mine though.


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## BlueberryChick (May 12, 2008)

I wore my mother's wedding dress, but she modified it for me. I wanted long sleeves, so she changed those for me. We also took out the bustle (sp?) so I had more train and less "caboose".

Angie, my 17yo daughter loves that wedding dress and the whole wedding theme. So, when she gets married, can we call you?


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

BlueberryChick said:


> I wore my mother's wedding dress, but she modified it for me. I wanted long sleeves, so she changed those for me. We also took out the bustle (sp?) so I had more train and less "caboose".
> 
> Angie, my 17yo daughter loves that wedding dress and the whole wedding theme. So, when she gets married, can we call you?


Sure, that dress is parts of 3 patterns and a bit of tweaking. Based loosely on the white dress in Lord of the Rings. I did 18 folks in costume for that wedding...


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## maxine (Jun 22, 2004)

Wonderful!! Please may I ask where you got the pattern?? I must Have it!! Lots of Lord of the Ring people here..


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Yes, I made my dress - I got married at 18. The dress was a simple floor-length pattern popular at the time. We made it from a white crepe and lots of lace. Fake pearl buttons up the back. Oh so chic back then...but then, I had never seen a wedding dress in my life so I really didn't have any comparisons.

My daughter married in March. We made her dress. Lining, satin, lace overlay. Now, she is working for a bridal shop and was just offered the job as supervisor of the sewing dept. She wants to make her sister's wedding dress, but the sister has to find a guy first.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

maxine said:


> Wonderful!! Please may I ask where you got the pattern?? I must Have it!! Lots of Lord of the Ring people here..



Maxine - it's 3 patterns and some newspaper. When I get home tonight (or if I have time before) I'll try to get the pattern numbers and then tell you what I did to make that dress. 


I do know the sleeves are from one dress, the center is from a different dress with the extra fabric taken out of the skirt (should have been much more full), then a train added from either sleeve pattern or another pattern, with newpaper or something to bridge the curve angle from floor length street dress to having the train made on it.

The veil was long as the train and I made it and the under/skirt slip to match the skirt of the dress so the ground would not ruin the dress itself.

Angie


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Okay 

The main dress, and the going away cape is from Butterick B4377 with the skirt inserts taken out as that would make it too full for this look.

The sleeves are from Butterick B4571.

The dress does lace in the back as the 4377 shows.

The train part on the skirt.... just find a train length on a pattern you like and splice it onto the back skirt parts, or put newspaper/paper/pellon out the extra length of the train, and free hand an oblong quarter circle from the ending of this pattern skirt to the mark the center back distance you want the train.

it's a bit of a bunch of fabric, but not a hard dress to do.

the rope/belt on this and around the neck is a chain of aurora borailis rhinestones set it gold colored metal. For the waist, they are just tied and maybe tacked on the side to keep the placement, the neck has it whip stitched on. The lining of the sleeves is the backside of some shiny gold fabric, used backside to make it less harsh looking.


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## FairviewFarm (Sep 16, 2003)

I made my wedding dress and my bridemaids made theirs too. We chose a simple style to reduce the cost and so that their dresses could be worn for perhaps another special occasion.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Good idea FairviewFarm. 

My dress was simple. I'm going to have to take a photo and show you all.

Angie


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## DW (May 10, 2002)

1980, going to grad school. I spent $23 on material, used lace from my grandmothers "pinafore" that she wore over her dress...that was the style. I had a straw hat I covered in the material added tule (sp). Had covered buttons down the back. I really sew much better now than I did then but it was good for a wedding in the park.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

No, my mom made my wedding dress from leftover satin she had after making shirts for the high school drum section and lace from the dump! She made her own wedding dress too and many, many wedding dresses and bride's maid dresses over the years.

My mom began making her own clothes when she was nine years old and became pretty well known in north Alabama for making cheerleader and majorette uniforms. She's made them for the University of North Alabama and even the University of Alabama. 

Guess she's retired now 'cause you can't get her to hem a pair of pants, much less make anything!


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## ai731 (Sep 11, 2007)

Nope. I bought mine on eBay for $40. I was going to school full time and I couldn't have coped with an extra project as well as all the wedding planning.

I decided I didn't want to get married in white, so I bought a lovely lavendar bridesmaid's dress and wore that. The funny thing is that 3 years later, my sister asked me to be a bridesmaid at her wedding, and said "wear any dress you want, I'm not doing matching bridesmaids" - so I got to wear my wedding dress again, this time as a bridesmaid's dress! 

Jan


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## jokey (Aug 17, 2005)

I did ! I have been trying to post a pic but it is giving me fits


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

jokey said:


> I did ! I have been trying to post a pic but it is giving me fits


Jokey - are you uploading to a photo place like flickr or photobucket or webshots? Then you have to get the link they provide in your post here.

I do hope you get it worked out, I want to see it.


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## jokey (Aug 17, 2005)

grrr yeah.photobucket and everytime i try to upload I lose the photo !!!!:shrug: might be our internet!
I am going to let DH try. he is the computer whiz


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

Yes I made my first wedding dress. It was a very informal wedding in a very small church. The wedding party consisted of myself, my first husband, his sister and my brother. The dress was a pale blue brocade, street length. I have a picture somewhere. No one was smiling, maybe that was an omen. The marriage only lasted 6 1/2 years.

My second wedding I just wore regular clothes. Well if you can call western pants and boots regular. We were married at the court house, we are still together and it was 38 years last Feb.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Ruby - that second wedding sounds so much 'fun' and relaxed.

The best wedding (other than the one posted above) was when I square danced and the bride and groom were from our "single squares' group. She made herself a new white eyelet square dance dress with a sash made from the fabric of the western shirt she made for the groom.

We all brought a covered dish and put on tables in the double garage. The ceremony was on the back patio, and we all square danced on the lawn and ate in the double garage. Fanstastic way to have a wedding.


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## Michele of MI (Jul 8, 2009)

I didn't make my dress, my sister did because I was sewing dresses for the bridesmaids. They didn't like theirs, but mine was beautiful! We picked a Vera Wang pattern, because I wanted an elegant but not too fluffy-looking dress. (Lace is not me.) It was just beautiful, and yes we made it washable too... (I just knew I'd spill something on it.) I was disappointed when she bought hers, though it was pretty.


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## Pauline (Jan 28, 2003)

mom and i made mine it was a baby blue cotton shirt dress style that was perfect to wear for church or other slightly dressy occasions but not so frilly and dressy that i would not wear it again as i prfer my jeans and denim shirts for everyday


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## countrysunshine (Jul 3, 2008)

My mom made mine and it was very simple. I had a sweetheart neckline, long sleeves and a small train. No lace anywhere. I borrowed the crinoline and veil from his cousin.

Now 5 years later when my best friend got married I went all out. Hers had a lace covered bodice, pearl buttons up the back, a bustle and the necessary headers in the sleeves everything had in the 80s! I also made her veil. Her dress was far more expensive than mine. I think mine was $30 including notions and sewing machine needles. For her wedding her dress and mine together cost $125. She was thrilled.

I have done dresses for other weddings but not the brides. The last one I did was my oldest son's. Now my middle son is getting married next year and his bride has asked that I make the dresses.

I have to find something suitable to make for me to wear. That is the hard part.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

I made my own dress. Will be 30 years ago in a few weeks.










When I was younger I did a lot of custom sewing and did several bridesmaid dresses. But I only made one other wedding dress, and it was quite simple as the wedding was a "hurry up before the baby comes deal". Didn't work though, baby came early but the dress design was such that it only needed minor alterations and still looked great.

Though not a wedding dress, this is one of the favorite ones I ever made. This is my daughter (who sure didn't stay small and sweet for long LOL!)












I rarely sew now - my true passion turned out to be gardening and once I got more land that takes almost all my time. I still look at my machine longinly and hope to have more time to sew in the future.

Cathy


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## jokey (Aug 17, 2005)

here is mine ( I am the one in white LOl) It was 2 pieces and I lined the skirt. also did the hat!
We had a beautiful simple wedding! reception in In-laws yard,we had tons of good food, and we played corn-toss.( I won)
in photo is my mom ( who passed away in July), my oldest daughter,me, DH and our nephew.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Cathy - I like your dress, but that one on your daughter is outstanding! What was the event?


I have a photo of my youngest at 3 with a Hawaiian wedding dress on. I might get a photo of that photo to show you.

Angie


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

jokey - I'll have to see your photo at lunch time when they turn off the filter of such things here.


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## jokey (Aug 17, 2005)

Waaah What am I doing wrong?


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## jokey (Aug 17, 2005)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2507/3930515430_7b23ba2c99.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2620/3929734627_2d0e7b0a46.jpg


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

jokey - saw them then - very nice....


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

Angie, that little dress was made as a Halloween costume. I had done a bridal party in pink with lace underskirts and had a few yards of lace fabric left over. I think she is 4 years old (she is born Oct 27) I sold the dress in a consignment shop after that.

That was back when there was the scare about tainted candy, and we went to the big shopping mall to Trick or Treat. My DH says it was funny to watch all the dirty looks l got from other Moms behind my back (those with little girls in not quite so fancy dresses). DD loved fancy dresses and I loved making them for her.

Cathy


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## CamM (Dec 6, 2008)

My mom made her own back in '78. My sister married her soon-to-be seperated husband in a sweatshirt and sweatpants this past year. It certainly is an almost gone ability. Ask a girl my age to sew her own dress...she'd rather buy some 2000 dollar piece.


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## menollyrj (Mar 15, 2006)

I haven't made a dress, but I made a few skirts this past year as well as a late 1700's style shirt for our oldest son. It is a bit intimidating to look at all that fabric and know that YOU are responsible for how it looks when you're done.

I bought my wedding dress used. Didn't even own a sewing machine when DH & I married, and we were both active duty Army at the time, so I don't think I would have had the time to make it even if I knew how... I want to make some dresses for DD as she LOVES to dress up, and the cheap dress-up clothes in the stores don't last for more than 3-4 months (if that).

You guys are so talented! And Angie, I love that you took pieces of this pattern and pieces of that pattern to make the dress. That's how I tend to sew...find something I like here & something I like there & jam them together. (It is also how I cook, FWIW...)

-Joy


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