The Sewing Place
The Emporia => A bit of a 'do' => Topic started by: charlotte on April 21, 2017, 14:25:05 PM
-
I have four weddings in the next two years – two I am a bridesmaid at so no need to worry about what to wear there – although one may involve the bride-to-be choosing fabric and me making my dress, and possibly helping another bridesmaid to make hers, but that will be a whole different thread.
The other two are consecutive weekends in October. One of them is a multi-cultural Bangladeshi-English affair. The first part would be more English (her family) and the second part more Bangladesh (his) and there was even the suggestion from the groom’s cousin that we could do a costume change half way through! My idea was to make a western style dress out of sari silk – although I did worry that this would not be warm enough for October.
Anyway… my latest issue of Threads magazine arrived with an article on sewing with Sari silk (yay!) but also this top on the front cover:
(http://threadsmagazine.assets.tauntonnet.com/assets/uploads/posts/66743/T190-cover-digital-issue_xl.jpg?20160629)
So now my idea is (drum roll) a peacock blue silk dupion shift dress (fabric from India, so correct vague geographic area at least), with a sheer panel of peacock feathers (like the one down the centre of the top, but I don't want a sheer bit over my boobs!) going horizontally just above the hem, and also a vertical one on the upper back (above bra line). My idea is that the sheer panel at the bottom will reflect the border pattern on the pallu of a sari.
It’s a bit dressier than what I would normally wear to a wedding but I think you can get away with that for a winter wedding, and the multi-cultural nature will mean there will be a real mix of styles anyway.
-
I think that sounds gorgeous!
Could you put the "sheer" layer over the top of something else? I think it'll look really nice.
-
That would be absolutely beautiful! I do envy you ladies - and gentlemen :) - that can do 'proper' sewing 8)
-
I did think about something behind the sheer panel but I though you would lose the floating effect, so I decided to just go for a more strategic placement.
-
love it, post loads of gorgeous pics please!
-
Love the dress on Threads and also your dress ideas - hope you post photos!
-
Gorgeous
-
That sounds gorgeous!!!
You must post photos, it's compulsory;)
-
Many, many years ago I made my own wedding dress from royal blue silk with an overlay of peacock feather print on the skirt (Liberty Hera silk chiffon) and I think it looked very effective- not unlike the effect here though more demure. Of course the dress has unaccountably shrunk in the wardrobe in the intervening decades ;)........
-
Sounds lovely! Happy to cheer you on with this one!
Jessie
-
... I don't want a sheer bit over my boobs!)
What about a panel with peacock feathers. Asian fabric shops sell trimmings like this
(https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcR3Jx66mwmdQSc1d7kjLADZd_gzOuwRIqv9IOHDp44JUcdXO6UIpr6zDkNbbQ&usqp=CAE)
and you may come across just the thing. I would also check that no [bad] symbolism is attached to the peacock.
-
I wore peacock coloured silks for my daughter's October wedding- a dress and coat, both from vintage patterns. Both were underlined in silk organza, and also lined. Warm as toast!
I bought peacock feather clips to tart up some boring black slingbacks, and put peacock feathers in my hat. I loved it!
Some people think peacock feathers are unlucky, but you won't get that interpretation at an Indian wedding, so I wouldn't worry!
-
You could back the sheer bit with a flesh coloured silk organza or similar to avoid spoiling the look.
-
Thanks for all the suggestions. :D
I thought about a flesh coloured backing, or wearing a flesh coloured slip but I don't even want it to look like I have sheer bits in potentially inappropriate places, especially for a Muslim wedding :| so I'll just make sure they are only revealing bits of skin I don't mind having on display!
The bride is not superstitious at all and I'm fairly sure there aren't any peacock feather issues in Muslim culture - peacocks are a symbol of royalty so they'll just think I have ideas above my station!
I got my fabric out and I think the silk dupion is more like a raw silk - I'm not sure what the difference is to be honest, but this is finer and more slub-y than silk dupion I've used in the past. It's also fairly transluscent so I am underlining with subtle grey wax printed/ tie dyed cotton (instead of the silk organza I originally planned) which gives a lovely effect when the light shines through it.
I've cut out all my pieces and marked all my stitching lines on the underlining and now I'm just hand-tacking my layers together, then I'll get to work on the sheer back panel (pictures soon!).
I'll do a hand tacked fabric fit before I sew everything together properly.
I probably won't even be able to dry clean this dress with the feathers, etc., so I'm thinking I will make a separate slip instead of a lining, with thread chains and snaps to attach it at the shoulders, as well as removable dress shields at the underarms, so at least those bits can be washed!
-
Sounds like a plan!
-
I'm at the tacking together for fitting stage. Here's a picture of the back yoke panel.
(https://i.imgur.com/eN2LzCN.jpg)
-
That's going to be a work of art... fabulous.
-
It's going to be gorgeous! Can't wait to see the finished item.
-
It's looking good, Charlotte. I downloaded a copy of that Threads issue and didn't realise there was so much work involved in actually creating the panel.
-
Tack fitting has revealed the slight issue that I cannot get in or out of it. :S Because of the back panel it has to have a side zip and with the sleeves it is a real battle to get on and off
I will lower the front neck and increase the armholes (and sleeves) a touch. Unfortunately I can't really tell if it will be okay until the sleeve seam allowances are trimmed, so I will just go for it and absolute worse case scenario it will have to be sleeveless.
I have a dress from the same pattern in cotton with a side zip and that works fine, so I am hoping it will be okay with just those slight adjustments.
-
Wot, you mean you don't have collapsible shoulders!!!
-
That is so beautiful!
-
Got one sleeve in and it fits, so that is a huge relief!
-
It's looking really good - and unique 0_0
Because of the back panel it has to have a side zip and with the sleeves it is a real battle to get on and off
IME getting out of a dress with a side zip is more difficult than getting into it.
-
Yes, BrendaP - it's still rather tricky to wiggle out of, but it's doable!!
So pretty much all that's left to do is hemming (it's all pinned in place) and then I want to add some bra catches to keep the shoulders in place and some dress shields under the arms.
The trouble is I'm just not sure about it. :S I tried it on again last night and I do like it a lot (which is good, because I thought I didn't). The problem is I'm worried that it looks a bit too Asian (much more so than I was expecting), so I am a bit worried about cultural appropriation and looking a bit silly, especially as we have been told it is 'not an Asian wedding'. I will get some pictures up soon and you can all give opinions! Plus I have my mum and my sewing friend round next weekend so they can have a look as well.
-
Interested to see a full picture of it, but I really wouldn't worry. As long as you are not breaking any sort of sacred rules, it's just fashion. And you've been invited to join (this is the argument usually used in cultural appropriation discussions, have you been invited into it or not. I don't fully believe in cultural appropriation at the same level some do, but this is usually their distinction).
-
I would think what you wear with it i.e. shoes, jewellery etc and how you have your hair will determine how more or less Asian it looks. I love Chinese style tops but I definitely don't look as though I'm trying to appear Chinese when I wear one.
-
Years ago while shopping at Bombay Stores in Bradford I asked one of the assistants if it bothered them that we wanted to wear their clothes, the reply was that they looked on it as an honour, so go ahead and wear your dress with pride. The reason I asked in the store was because when we lived in Glasgow I got some very negative comments from people when I mentioned wearing a tartan, no I don't belong to a clan but it wasn't seen as an honour for someone wanting to wear the tartan.