Sunday, August 15, 2010

Lindsey’s Wedding Dress – Fitting – July 6, 2010

Corset

The addition of the bra cups to the corset was a total success.  It fit her perfectly, and she said she’s much more comfortable.  The addition of the steel boning to the back of the corset was also a success.  She said it felt much better, and it fit much more smoothly than before.  Corset is done and needs no more changes!
New bustier
Green Skirt

The zipper and waistband on the green skirt fits great.  The skirt sits perfectly at her waist and doesn’t droop down in the front.  Skirt is done!
Skirt with new waistband
Sidenote: If you look at this picture from far away, she kinda looks like a hula dancer with coconut boobs and a grass skirt.  Tee hee!
  
Overdress

The fourth attempt at the bodice is the same as the third, only with bigger darts (to compensate for the addition of real boobs!) and a slight tweak to lower the peak by the armhole. 

The bodice pieces finally worked!  The darts are the perfect size, and everything fits now.  The only change I need to make is to raise the center front just a bit to make sure the corset doesn’t show.
Overdress with bodice attempt #4
It’s for times like this that muslins are a godsend.  I can’t imagine re-making several bodices out of delicate silk satin and lace.  What a mess that would be.  Cotton is my friend.  Faithful and sturdy enough to be ripped apart and re-made over and over again.

I pinned some straps on, and she likes how they sit on the edge of her shoulders. 
Temporary blue straps
Back view with straps
I cut a rectangle of cotton to test out the cap sleeves, and it worked really well.  I pleated the tips at the front and back, and I love how it drapes perfectly over her arm.  The cap sleeves will be made out of lace with a layer of fine tulle underneath, and I’ll be using clear swimsuit elastic for the straps.  That way, they’ll be tight, and a little bit sticky, so they won’t slip.
Cap sleeve test
From the back
I’m so excited!  It’s finally starting to look fantastic! 

3 comments:

  1. I'm so glad I found this page. This is exactly what I'm trying to do and had a hard time finding examples. I'm trying to add similar cap sleeves/straps to a strapless dress. Can you tell me how you attached the sleeves to the elastic? Is it a bad idea to use regular ribbon instead of elastic?

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  2. Did you see the post with the lace cap sleeves by themselves? I sewed one layer of embroidered lace/tulle to one layer of plain tulle so I had a finished edge to work with. I sewed clear elastic underneath. I gathered the ends of the cap sleeves by hand, and hand stitched them to the inside of the dress. But I have to tell you, I did so much fiddling with those sleeves, I thought I would never get them right! In the end, they weren't as hard as I thought.

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  3. Yes, you should use clear elastic. Not only is it tight, but it's sticky, so once it sits on your shoulders, it won't slip off.

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