Tags
black dress, DIY wedding, dress, empire waist, formal dress, formal wear, holiday dress, Sewing, sewing project, silver dress, wedding guest, winter wedding
In September, I realized I may be needing a new dress for Hubster’s cousin’s wedding in early January. I immediately had a post holiday season dress in mind. This scared me for two reasons. First, I wouldn’t find that dress with a price tag I wanted. Second, I knew I’d have limited time during the holidays to get it started.
The wedding is in cold frigid January. However, it will take place in North Carolina (what are their winters like anyway?) Would I need a shawl or a cape? Can I pull out my open toe dress shoes? I wasn’t sure what color theme the bride had picked and I didn’t want to clash or match… so I stuck to black (I never wear black!)… and silver. I figured I had one chance to get this dress right, or I’d be wearing an old dress that Hubster’s family has all seen me in already.
I always have the best sewing luck when I make the basic garment shape first and then try it on and make adjustments. I created the outer layer of the dress first which was as simple as sewing a tube. I then had to stitch the hem, which was a little difficult due to the nature of the crinkle fabric. The skirt of the dress would have to be lined, so I created a lining by making a skirt out of some remaining black satin back crepe I had in my sewing box. I attached the skirt underneath the dress, added black satin trim under the bust which ties in the back. I was contemplating which type of straps I wanted for the dress; two straps, halter, or omit them entirely. Hubster, Pumpkin and my nephews all agreed that I should keep it strapless. I would love a silver and black brooch to pin in the front middle of the black band, I just haven’t found one yet. I used a cute silver earring I found, removing the hook and tacking it to the belt.
How do you think the final product looks?