the dress | chapter four (a.k.a. decision-making time)

In all honesty, I have not been a diligent bride-to-be. I've been procrastinating with the work I need to do on my handmade wedding dress. I'm at this crucial stage where all the steps remaining are definitive and seemingly irreversible, and it's daunting. The due date is coming up fast, so in spite of my insecurities and fears, I need to bite the bullet. The last thing I want is to be sewing buttons the day before my wedding. Hence the quote on my letter board. 

Here's what I have left to do. I need to:

• Put in a zipper (definitively determining waist size!!)
• Cut the skirt to the proper length and hem
• Add detailing and buttons

Even though I'm terrified of making these final moves on my dress, it's simultaneously exciting. I temporarily pinned the zipper in place (which, after I did, made me realize my zipper is way too long), and put the dress on. Oh baby, this thing is awesome. It's like a real dress! And I'm still in love with the pockets. It feels pretty damn good to be this far along. 

As far as tackling my to-do list, I'm feeling more positively about some things versus others. The zipper I feel pretty good about, I just need to pull the trigger and stitch it in. 

The details are what I'm most excited for. I'm absolutely swooning over the sheer top I picked for this gown, but after hemming it, I'm realizing I need some sort of trim around the neckline and the arm holes. Nothing crazy, just something to hide the hemline. I also need a small, rounded button for the neck hole, plus an additional button for the top of the zipper. A shopping list is forming in my head...

Regarding the length of the gown, I'm totally stumped. How do you determine how long to make a dress when you haven't even decided what shoes you'll be wearing?? I'm getting married in the middle of the winter, which means some of the time I'll be wearing flats (for the sake of my fiancée who is shorter than me and feels a little self-conscious about it), but other times I'll probably be wearing boots in the snow! I still have some research to do, but any input would be seriously appreciated. Do I buy the shoes now? Do I make the length reversible in case something changes? Help!

Aside from finishing the gown, I still need to gather accessories, like shoes, earrings, and some sort of wrap (because, winter wedding =  brr). I also need to figure out what in the world I'm doing with my hair, and whether or not I can pull off lipstick. Stay tuned!

xoxo,

-m.e.

P.S. There's a mini-chapter of the dressmaking adventure ahead, plus see the previous chapter in this DIY wedding dress series where I share the wonder of pockets. 

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