the dress | chapter two

My wedding dress is done!

Just kidding. This is my test dress. But my test dress is done!

I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty stressed about messing up my actual bridal gown. Lining, zippers, hemlines - there are a lot of areas to make mistakes in. Sewing together this test dress helped calm a bunch of those frazzled nerves though. Getting to actually wear my "dress" before making it is super comforting.

The one downside to making your own wedding dress is not getting to try it on first. There isn't the luxury of going to a bridal store & figuring out what "shape" works best with your bod. When picking out my pattern, I chose one that I knew would look good for my shape. It's a combination of dresses I've worn before that I know I feel confident in, mixed with some in-home testing (i.e. putting a belt on with a dress to figure out the waistline). The pattern I picked didn't fit all my criteria for the shape (namely the length), but I was able to select one that would build the main bodice exactly how I envisioned. Even after getting a good idea of how the whole plan would play out, I still didn't feel totally confident moving forward. That's where Test Dress came in to play. 

I made this replica of the dress from cheap muslin fabric. I didn't flush it out entirely - there's no zipper, lining, etc. It's just all the pattern pieces cut out & stitched together. I feel way better about the pattern I picked now that I have something physical to try on. And I love the shape. Plus I was able to test out the alterations in making to the length of the actual dress. I'm still nervous - boning & lining are some of the things I'm fretting over - but I'm so excited at the same time. More to come soon - now to buy the actual fabric. 

xoxo,

-m.e.

P.S. Chapter three of the dressmaking adventure is here!