The Lady in Red - Pictures at last!

It took a long time, but I finally have some photos of the red bridesmaids dress. The dash to the finish was sheer craziness. After 3 days in the hospital, my exhausted client came to pick up her dress and didn't have her "support system" with her. She had come straight from a long day of blood tests and forgotten the bra. She left without trying the dress on, hence we do have a few small tweaks to take care of.

Back - Sheer upper back with self-bound slit

It was late, and I was getting ready to put the fastener at the back neck opening. She wanted to go home. She said, just grab whatever you can get to the quickest. Now I had wanted to do a covered button and loop. Fastest was a hook and eye. That will be replaced as it kept popping open all evening.

The photo below shows the asymmetrical drape with its black satin rose. It added some accent color in addition to the shoulders. She and I came up with the flower at the same time. As you can see, I need to at least double the size to be in scale with the woman in the dress. She also discovered that we need to secure the drape a bit forward of the side seam so that it will be visible when her arms are at her sides.

Side view showing satin rose

Since the wedding, she has worn the dress twice more and loved it each time. However, the chiffon has done what fabric will do when there is bias involved. It stretched unevenly. Note the extra-long left side of the handkerchief hem. Now that the dress has hung out a bit, I'm going to correct the hem.

 

At the wedding

After the wedding, I got a message on my voice mail that started out with her saying she had something bad and something really, really good to tell me. Bad turned out to be the hook and eye that kept letting go and a tiny bit of seam that let go due to picking up and swinging a small child. Good was her going on and on about how much she loves the dress and that she wants at least 2 more in different colors. Best? One of the guests, a future bride, wanted to know where she got her dress. Now there are 3 bridesmaids, a matron of honor and maybe even a bridal gown to do by the beginning of February!

 

I am so excited to have the opportunity to work with 4 different body types. My objective is for each of the women to be as thrilled with her dress as my beautiful Lady in Red!

 

 

 

 

 

Some Advice for Brides & Bridesmaids

This is short and sweet. If the shop you bought your dress from had to order your dress, do not sign that you picked it up until you try it on! I am encountering more brides and bridesmaids who need alterations because their dresses were sized incorrectly. Several people I know have signed the reciept, taken their gowns home, tried them on and found out that the gowns wouldn't zip up completely.

Once you sign that receipt, all alterations are at your expense. If you try the dress on before you sign and the dress is the wrong size, you can ask for a replacement. This does not include alterations to make a correctly sized dress fit your figure properly. This is for the cases where the dress is obviously the wrong size. You can't zip it up or you swim in it. And don't let them blame it on weight gain or wearing the wrong bra to stick you with the cost of alterations.

Chain-store bridal shops often make the bulk of their money through alterations. I think that's one of the reasons they can sell at such low prices.

Let the buyer beware. Try it on before you sign! Or just get a custom-made dress.