Mother of the Bride Dress

[charlotte]

Because if you're making seven outfits for your wedding, you might as well make eight, right?

This is our inspiration picture:


We're going for green, with a dress with fitted bodice and A-line skirt underneath, possibly New Look 6447, in a crepe de chine silk:



For the lace, I'm looking at this one from Bridal Fabrics, which is more expensive than the lace for my wedding dress, but at least we won't need as much of it!!

Mum wants sleeves on the overdress, so I'm thinking the Trapeze Dress, from Merchant and Mills, with an added ruffle, obviously.

[Tiggy]

That is going to be spectacular.  I’m currently making my Mother of the Groom dress.

[Efemera]

That some piece of lace!
Minerva have some green lace...probably not the quality you’re looking for though.

[Sheilago]

Wow, that’s quite a price per metre! What a lucky mum to have a daughter than can make her outfit. Looks like it will be beautiful.

[Bodgeitandscarper]

Yet another dress?  You're a sucker for punishment 

[charlotte]

In the latest development... Mum has picked out an EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE lace that she prefers.

I have refused to use it for the original design, although it would probably still look stunning, as it would mean cutting through the motifs on the border and just the thought of doing that with such a pricey fabric is giving me palpitations.

So this is the new design (please excuse my terrible iPad drawing skills)

[charlotte]

We had terrible fit issues with the toile for the underdress. No wonder poor Mum couldn't find anything off the rack! 

No photos, as she wasn't feeling particularly photogenic, but there was a huge gape at the armscye and the bust apex landed about 4 inches higher than it should. I've done a slight shoulder slope adjustment, and I've pinned out a dart into the armscye, which I will transfer to the new yoke seam I need to cut, and we're converting the front waist darts to princess seams which will blend into the yoke seam, as I think that will give a much better fit.

Mum has changed her mind on the lace again, and we've gone for the slightly more reasonably priced 'Adele' from Bridal Fabrics at only £90/metre. 

[Bodgeitandscarper]

Lovely fabric, but how much? 

[Tamnymore]

Wow lovely fabric.

[Elnnina]

Gorgeous fabric Charlotte - look forward to seeing this when it is finished.   Now enjoy sewing this despite the cost of it, I am sure it will behave quite nicely.

[Nevis5]

Gosh you're amazing, @charlotte  !  I would have had kittens at the thought of having to do all that sewing for my wedding (a very, very long time ago now).  It's going to be beautiful.  Lucky Mum xx

[charlotte]

Right. Mum’s second toile! I had some cheap cotton in a similar colour to the silk so hopefully we can use this to get a sense of the finished dress as well as perfecting the fit. I’ve cut and pinned the lace on place, and I’m really pleased with how it’s looking, but I can’t get the hem of the lace to stand out as much as I want. I have 25mm horsehair pinned in in the picture. Any ideas for what I could use for a more dramatic trapeze hem?

[charlotte]

Progress! All cut out, with the exception of the newly-introduced contrast waistband, for which I am waiting for the silk to arrive. Everything that can sewn in the meantime has been, except the back neck button loop and hem. Here it is all pinned together (with the similarly-coloured lining standing in for the waistband):

[Elnnina]

That is lovely Charlotte, you really are doing well getting all this sewing done well before the day.  Love the lace fabric, and I am sure your mother will enjoy wearing this on your special day.

[charlotte]