Eau de Panic

[fajita]

 

Daughter gets married on 29th this month. Today is the 16th.

She bought her dress at the weekend. It's a 12, she is more like a 10.

I seem to have offered to alter it.

If it was a cheap cotton sundress I would be fine. But it's a WEDDING dress, with bones, and lining and princess seams and laced up back.

Soooooo, can anybody recommend me some reading/videos to cram before she turns up after work? Please? Pretty pretty please?

It is the Audrey dress here :- https://www.wed2b.co.uk/audrey

[Ellabella]

What a lovely dress, very elegant.

 I don't suppose fattening her up quickly is an option?

[fajita]

I did actually suggest that very thing, @Ellabella 

[wrenkins]

The good news is it's gorgeous. Beautifully simple and I love that length. 
The bad news is it's gorgeous and beautifully simple so any mistakes will show up like a big fat sore thumb! Just sayin'. 
Good luck.

[fajita]

Thanks, @wrenkins 

[Acorn]

You know how people pad their dressforms to make them the right size...?

[wrenkins]

That's the ticket @Acorn.
Expanding foam! 

[fajita]

 Thanks for the tips so far. I'm taking notes.
My bookcase has revealed The Readers Digest Complete Guide To Sewing, and also Fit for Real People, by Pati Palmer and Marta Alto.

Both books in pristine unusedcondition, so I will read up a bit. 

[Bowerbird]

Is it too late to take it back & change it for a 10?

(Can you tell  I know even less about bridal wear  )

But it is a very beautiful dress al the same

[Sewbee]

<<I seem to have offered to alter it. >>

[Manuela]

You could pick up a tip or two from Mrs Mole’s blog, she has been altering wedding dresses for many years.

https://fitforaqueen.wordpress.com

[fajita]

Ty.
The shop didn't have a ten and couldn't promise one by the 29th.

I thought it looked lovely, till the assistant grabbed a couple of inches at each side body and showed just how much spare there was. Til then I thought I was going to pinch an inch off the shoulder straps.

[Vezelay]

If all else fails you could throw in the towel and ask the shop who does their alterations...or postpone the wedding 

[BrendaP]

It's a lovely dress
But....

Taking in the waist of a circular skirt is almost impossible - if you cut anything away from the top of the skirt it will get bigger not smaller.

If you take in more than a smidge  from the back lacing it will loose its shape and impact.

I think the only place you will be able to take it in is at the side seams.
The 'proper' way would be to detatch the waistband from both the skirt and the bodice, take in side seams of bodice and skirt, shorten the waistband then reassemble.

The much easier bodge-job would be to just take it in and accept side seams in the waistband.

Of course it all depends on what the inside is like.

[Greybird]

Back in 2001 I made my daughter-in-law's wedding dress from B5542. Got it fitting just right and it was left at our house. Then didn't see her in the 3 weeks approaching the wedding. Unfortunately, she had decided that she needed to be thinner and spent the 3 weeks dieting. Result - dress gaping horribly and no time whatsoever to do anything about it.