Mother of the Bride dress...first muslin

Now that the holidays are behind us, I'm thinking wedding...

I visited with Ashley the weekend after Christmas for some girl time...and a trip to David's Bridal! She found the most beautiful dress - it is just what she had envisioned for herself. Such excitement, a few tears, lots of happiness.  She also got an exquisite corset and shoes, as well as her gown preservation drop-off box.

Then we went off to lunch to relive it all. Such a memorable time with my girl.

Note: the original decision to make her dress was fleeting :-) Shopping for a gown and watching her face was such a wonderful experience.


Now I'm working on my dress! I've been thinking about it so much, trying for an idea that will work well with her venue and theme, while being comfortable and elegant.  I know I want a maxi dress with long sleeves, so I won't be at all concerned with scleroderma scars and so on on my arms and legs.

For my first idea/muslin, I'm using pieces of two patterns. The dress is based on New Look 6936, which I made as a maxi dress in matte jersey for Jungle January 2013...

And I'm using the narrow sleeves from Vogue 1315, another Jungle January dress!

Redrafting the New Look bodice with the armscye from the Vogue pattern was very easy - and I'm really happy with the muslin so far:

Clementine Floral ITY Knit - Fabric Mart

As with my Jungle dress, I've changed the waistline elastic casing treatment. The original pattern uses 1/4" elastic in a narrow casing formed from the bodice/skirt seam allowance. Instead, I've applied a 1 1/2" wide casing (finished width) in which I'll use 1" elastic.

IMO, the wide casing adds interest and finish to the dress. The lining on the inside of the casing is woven broadcloth, chosen to provide stability and support at the waist area. ITY knit in a long maxi skirt can be very heavy!

I also applied binding around the neckline edge, instead of turning it inside in a narrow hem. Again, I think it looks more finished with the binding. Another plus - the binding makes the neckline very stable, really important for a crossover plunging neckline! 

Speaking of which, I fit the crossover very carefully with my intended undergarment, so it will behave when the dress is finished :-)

I'm also thinking about another approach, loosely based on this pic, i.e., a maxi dress with a jacket or shrug.









Vogue has a beautiful pattern for a knit shrug, V8885, that includes a long sleeve option. The dress could be as simple as McCalls much-loved M6559.

And I have a luscious jersey that would be so pretty with a lace topper. The two fabrics don't seem to match here, but they do in real life. The lace, which I found at JoAnn's but haven't purchased as yet, has a very soft, dense, and drapey hand.

Lime/Grey/Multi Abstract Floral Burnout Jersey
Fabric Mart

Scroll Lace - JoAnn's

Back soon with more - Ciao! Coco