Wedding dress alt - help!

[crafter]

I said I would alter a wedding dress for a young colleague (not even a friend!!).  I have no doubt in my bridalwear skills at all and when she said it was taking it up and maybe taking it in a bit I wasn't concerned at all.  Until I saw it!

This dress is a tulle overlay over a strapless dress.  The tulle section at the top (wide off shoulder design) is miles too big.  I still wasn't concerned when I pinned it to fit better - I chose the word "better" rather than "perfectly" as I don't think perfect can ever be accomplished with this dress.  I explained that I would have to take the motifs off, dart the tulle in the necessary places and reapply the motifs to cover any darting/seaming.

I just sat down to start work, only to discover ..................... the flaming motifs are glued on the dress.  Not sewn.  How the heck am I supposed to get them off?!

I would appreciate any suggestions as I am now desperate.  Why the heck did I say I would do it.  Should I just say sorry, can't be done.  Wedding two weeks away.


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[Ploshkin]

Sorry, I can't help you but why do these people buy wedding dresses that don't fit?

[b15erk]

Could you remove the tulle bit, cut out the motifs tulle and all, and re-cut the tulle bit?

Never done bridalwear, just a suggestion.

I do hope you manage it....

Jessie

[crafter]

Sorry, I can't help you but why do these people buy wedding dresses that don't fit?

And how do the bridal shops get away with it.  She's definately a petite fitting.  They don't even do alterations, just give a telephone number for someone who might do it!

£1200 !!

[crafter]

Could you remove the tulle bit, cut out the motifs tulle and all, and re-cut the tulle bit?

Never done bridalwear, just a suggestion.

I do hope you manage it....

Jessie

A good suggestion @b15erk, and that's probably what I would have done if there was a bodice and skirt.  The whole dress is one piece of tulle from top to bottom with masses of lace motifs all over it.

[Gemma]

 Honestly, I'd say sorry can't I can't do it - sounds like anything you try would risk damaging the dress and presumably I'd you're doing it as a favour you don't have liability insurance - let someone deal with it who does!

[Sandra]

I've just been studying the pictures for ages and thinking what I'd do.....I'm sorry to say that I've no idea. You need to contact her to tell her that you've encountered an unexpected problem.

The only thing which might work possibly...slicing into the tulle and overlapping a dart-sized section to pull in the required amount...in two evenly positioned places? Not great but...y'know. When you're desperate (which she might be)

Does a hot steamy iron loosen the glue? Might make it possible to work on. I know that Dry Cleaning can make glued bits of wedding dresses fall off. 

@Bloobell  works on wedding dresses. She might have a much better idea than me.

Sandra.
xxx

[BrendaP]

If you can I would tell her that on closer inspection the job can't be done.

However, if you feel that you have really committed yourself to doing it then tell her that you can make the necessary darts as originally planned, BUT, because the motifs are (cheaply) glued on and not properly stitched on, it will be impossible to get them off to do the job properly and therefore the only alternative is to make darts in the whole of the tulle/lace layer which won't look good.  Let her make the decision as to whether or not to go for a bodged job.


 

[crafter]

So, this is what I've done.

Applied transparent lingerie elastic to the inside of the neckline and armholes which I am hoping will pull the whole lot in and not gape any more.  I've machined it with a large stitch and not damaged the dress at all so it can come off if necessary.  If it doesn't work, then there is nothing I can do.  Seeing her on Wednesday.

I also chopped 5" off the length and will finish that when she has tried it again.  This time I hope she arrives with her shoes and undies!

I looked at the size of the dress.  It's a size uk12.  I would say that she is a size 8.  I know wedding dresses can come up smaller but really.

[Bloobell]

Glued on??

Oh my @crafter   that's a bit of a nightmare. I've never had motifs glued on. I have however had dresses sold to brides by supposedly reputable salons who clearly thought more about their commission than anything else. This appears to be the case here.

If you can't remove the motifs (and you can't) then the only thing to do is either what you've done, or just take the darts, and sew right through all the layers, including the motifs. A part of you will die inside if you do that, but it'll get the fit right. Sometimes the fit is actually more important than the smooth running of design motifs, and more noticeable.

A thought - are you shortening the dress, at all? If so, could you just sew the darts as above, and then stitch a cut-out motif from the cut off hem over it, to hide the dart? I've done that before.

Despite our best efforts, sometimes things just can't be fixed "properly" and instead you need to do a "it'll do" job. I always let my client decide which option, if there's two or three "bad" options, to go for. I explain as clearly as I can that it's a compromise and that I'll do my best, but I can't work miracles.

Why would such an expensive dress have glued on motifs?

[crafter]

Just to let you know that the application of clear lingerie elastic, slightly stretched, to a bagging neckline on an embroidered motif covered tulle dress works a treat.  Thank goodness.

[Sandra]

Nice one, crafter...what a relief. Pleased to hear you've got a happy customer.

Sandra.
xxx

[supergran]

Well done crafter, bet that was a relief. What I don't get though, is why anyone in their right mind would pay £1200 for a dress that doesn't even fit! 

[Sandra]

Well done crafter, bet that was a relief. What I don't get though, is why anyone in their right mind would pay £1200 for a dress that doesn't even fit! 

Because they're told by the shop assistant (who knows nothing about alterations, and who the bride-to-be trusts, because she knows nothing about alterations either), that it's 'easy to alter'.     Their tills go...'Kerching!'...and they think nothing more of it. They're happy to have sold another dress.
They don't care.

Sandra.
xxx

[supergran]

Thanks for the explanation Sandra. It seems very unfair to advise brides to be when you have no clue about what it entails. I always assumed that these bridal shops had in house alteration people, but clearly that's not the case.
I admit to being rather stingy, and the thought of paying that much for a dress that didn't fit would kill me!
My MIL made mine, drafted the pattern and everything. She was a very talented lady.