My Wedding Dress

[Lachica]

Fabulous work @charlotte.

[nototie]

That looks lovely @charlotte!

[charlotte]

My buttons arrived! 



I sent my fabric off and had them covered so they will match exactly.

[SkoutSews]

They look great! What a brilliant idea to get someone else to deal with the fiddly job of covering buttons.

[nototie]

Those look very nice @charlotte! That color is quite pretty.

[charlotte]

I fitted my over-bodice! Self fitting a button back bodice is generally not recommended, but the main challenge was due to my scoliosis (twisted spine). The calico toile was fine, but the softer tulle needed a lot of encouragement not to follow my backbone!

The alterations were actually fairly minimal - a slight adjustment to the shoulder slope (different on each side!) and cutting the back armholes a little bigger to give a bit more ease.

Before and after pictures:



The 'before' shot is exaggerated by the fact that the stabiliser is still in place, and I used a back zip for my first fitting, but it is still a dramatic difference for such minimal changes.

Once I have the lace motifs in place I'm hoping my deformed back won't be quite as obvious! First I need to stitch the (currently hand-tacked) seams, remove the last of the stabiliser, and sew the buttons in place.

[b15erk]

It's looking beautiful @charlotte !

Well done for fitting it yourself!  :thumbsup:

Jessie

[Elnnina]

Your are a brave and clever lass Charlotte, it is looking good - now continue to enjoy the making of this beautiful dress.

[Ohsewsimple]

Fabulous!   Not easy to fit yourself normally but scoliosis makes it a bit awkward.

[Silver Rose]

You are doing a tremendous job Charlotte, you will be a beautiful bride.

[Iminei]

What a difference ... you are so clever!!!

I used to send buttons off to be covered when I made bridal waistcoats too ... Still have an off couple ... in a lovely Grey Silk Paisley 

[Lachica]

Looking good, you're very skilled and the back looks perfect. My daughter had her dress made (in Shanghai, as they were living there at the time) and the dressmaker made a big fuss over fitting it to her twisted back. Which no one had noticed before her very thorough Chinese medical which included multiple X rays & precise measurement of the degree of scoliosis. DD was most indignant that I'd not taken her to the doc with it but I'd no idea there was anything wrong.

[charlotte]

Looking good, you're very skilled and the back looks perfect. My daughter had her dress made (in Shanghai, as they were living there at the time) and the dressmaker made a big fuss over fitting it to her twisted back. Which no one had noticed before her very thorough Chinese medical which included multiple X rays & precise measurement of the degree of scoliosis. DD was most indignant that I'd not taken her to the doc with it but I'd no idea there was anything wrong.

My curvature was huge - 58^o in the lower back - and it was my PE teacher who noticed it, rather than me or my mum! It was partially corrected by surgery to 24^o to match the curve in the upper portion. They used one of my ribs to fuse three vertebrae together, so I can have fit issues at the front too where they took that out!

[Efemera]

Fabulous...

[SkoutSews]

You've been very successful there, it can't have been easy, yet the alterations have given a great result.