Post # 1
Member
63 posts
Worker bee
Yay, Gettin’ Married!
After a L o n g engagement, we finally set a date. But for 6 months from now and we have a verry small budget. No I am well know as being a very crafty lady. I made quite the chunk fo change sewing prom dresses for classmates in high school(and finshing my own in time!). And now my dining room has been turned into a sewing studio.
So at came as no suprise to me when the question immediatly following "Congratulations!" was "So, you’re making your dress, right?"
I debated for some time, my mantra for my wedding is "NO STRESS!" but when it became clear how excited everyone was about taking care of the other details, I finally felt comfortable commiting to making my own dress! so here’s the pattern i’m basing it on…
View "B", I’m putting a circle skirt on it. and there will be some red, maybe a bow or somehtign. i’m inspired by these http://trinja.blogspot.com/2008/07/tea-length-heaven.html .
I still thinki’m goign to go try on dresses with my girls though, just for S&G’s.
So Anyone else DYIing to do the ultimate DYI? or would you rather Die? 
Post # 3
Member
36 posts
Newbee
I’m making my own dress. I’ve mocked up the pattern and am in the process of filling the muslin. I tried on a 3600$ dress and loved it, but refuse to pay that much.
I have the fabric, netting, boning, buttons, lining, everthing to do the dress including an internal corset and it cost 170$. It is very time consuming as I am doing everything end to end with a lot of hand sewing, but I love it and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Post # 4
Member
107 posts
Blushing bee
I wish I had the skills to sew my own wedding dress. I had sewing lessons when I was young. for some reason, as I got older, the more sewing machines hate me. I almost always break them. 🙁
My mom made her own dress! It was always a bragging point for me growing up.
Really cute choice, by the way!
Post # 5
Member
25 posts
Newbee
I had always dreamed of having my mother make my dress. When I got engaged last fall we decided to hit a bridal shop to get an idea of a style I would a.) like, and b.) look good in. I had looked at the pattern books at a coupld local fabric stores but didn’t see anything I was convinced would be my dress.
So, we went to the bridal shop and tried on a few dress. I can’t say I had a dress moment with my dress, but there was one that was simple and elegant, for quite a bit less than I had imagine a dress would cost. My mother and I both talked it over and decided it would be cheaper to buy the dress at that sort of cost. So, based on that I made my decision to buy vs. have my mother make it for me.
Post # 6
Member
36 posts
Newbee
I was going to make my own, then I got one for a great price at a bridal shop that was going out of business, now we’ve changed locations and it’s too formal. So, it’s for sale and I’m back to the drawing board.
I will either make a dress similar to that pattern or I’ll buy a bridesmaid dress in ivory.
Post # 7
Member
225 posts
Helper bee
Wow, what a challenge! I wish I could make my own!
Post # 8
Member
63 posts
Worker bee
@2009cndbride Ohh. Corset! You said my favorite word 
Corsetry is a slight obsession of mine. I do Historically accurate (and hysterically inaccurate) costumes. But i swore i was not having a theme wedding (also august is hot for that sort of thing!). do you have a design sketch, or inspiration pictures you can share?
Post # 9
Member
36 posts
Newbee
@sansSerif I haven’t taken any pictures…never thought to. I spent the afternoon playing with the neckline. One’s I’ve settled I will take a pic.
It’s interesting how few people appreciate a corset, most people llook at me like I’m crazy when I say I’m building in a corset. Nothing better to push up the ladies and such in the waist!
Post # 10
Member
1022 posts
Bumble bee
@sanserif — I have that pattern!! I bought it to make a Black cocktail dress. I did "b" and I love it!! Great choice!
For the poll I choose "designing but having a designer make it for me" If I trusted myself to make my wedding dress, I would make it myself, but I think it’s just too stressful of a task for me to take underway. So I’m having someone from Etsy make my dream dress!
Post # 11
Member
60 posts
Worker bee
I’m making mine too! I am (gulp) making my own pattern. I majored in costume design, so I think I can handle it but somedays I think I must be insane! I’m still in the mock-up phase.
Post # 12
Member
63 posts
Worker bee
@ellebeaux I feel like i’m copping out by buying a comercial pettern! I usually draft my own, and i know i’m goign to have to alter the hell out of the top to acomidate "the girls" but i feel like i’ll be less stresses with a pre made starting point.
Well when we’re all in our sewing rooms at 2:30 in the morning. ripping out THAT SEAM for the 5ht time. we can think of each other and smile knowing that were not suffering alone
Post # 13
Member
60 posts
Worker bee
@SanSerif There’s no shame in commercial patterns! I’ve certainly wished for one at times. My diy guilt is that I’m basing my dress off a picture of a vintage dress and not using an original design. I totally would have expected myself to be the working other way around (designing the dress and altering a commercial pattern).
Post # 14
Member
36 posts
Newbee
@sansserif There certainly is no shame in a commercial pattern. It will give you easy guidelines without starting from scratch. Cut the pattern in muslin and give yourself 2 inch margins on all sides, then trace in the original cutting lines. From there you can fit it to you until your heart is content.
I choose to make my own because I know how to and choose to spend the time to do it (this is hugely time consuming), not because it makes me better than a commercial pattern.
Give yourself credit for what you are doing, don’t diminish your talent and effort by saying that you are copping out.
Post # 15
Member
1022 posts
Bumble bee
@sanserif – I also had to make a few changes to accomodate "the girls" but it wasn’t too difficult. I just added about 1 extra inch on the top of the pieces. Piece of pie. 🙂
Post # 16
Member
48 posts
Newbee
I always dreamed of having my dress made for me, but that was out of my budget so I went mass market….maybe I’ll try to make my rehearsal dinner dress.