This was my wedding gown. 10 yards of silk duchess satin, almost as many yards of pintucked silk dupioni, and 5,000 Swarovski crystals. Yes, 5,000.
As of two weeks before my wedding, the crystals hadn’t arrived. Cue a frantic drive down to Los Angeles with my mother-in-law to track down as any as I needed, which I had to buy at retail (it’s more painful than it sounds). Finally, with a mere thirteen nights left, I frantically started to make this gown. No pressure! Well, except that our caterer backed out for a more lucrative gig (and kept our deposit…), leaving us in a lurch and having to re-plan the entire reception, including location. Oh, and I was also making the cake. Thank goodness I don’t need sleep…. 
I made this gown in three pieces. The first is the bodice, which is lightly boned and zips up the back. There is more fabric over the shoulders than I’d otherwise have liked, but, since this fabric has no stretch, I needed that excess so I could nurse my baby as she needed. That was my most important priority that day, no matter what anyone thought about it.
Under that is a longline corset. The unadorned fabric visible in the neckline of these photos is the top of the corset. The boning stops underbust to facilitate in nursing.
The last is, of course, the skirt. This part obviously took the longest due to all that beading! I made a French bustle to contain the length. It was almost nine feet from my waist!
On the day of the wedding, I was down a flight of stairs about 150 yards down a hall when the ceremony started. No one at all thought to tell me that it was starting. I’m so chronically on time for everything that it as just assumed that I’d be there. Since I thought it was strange that no one called for me, my ladies and I snuck closer to find out what was going on, and heard the music. We rushed up the stairs, I tore my skirt, and we got there literally at the moment my maid of honor was to start walking down the aisle. We couldn’t have cut it closer. What a tiring day!!
For credit where credit is due, the lovely Carmen, my “Don Juan”/”Think of Me” bride, was our makeup and hair artist that day!
See this Facebook album for more photos.
The date for the gown needed to be moved up by a lot! I actually took my sewing machine to the Santa Barbara Courthouse to finish these gowns as the girls dressed since I didn’t get measurements for three of them until…the morning of the wedding. I had to guestimate. Thank goodness I was close!
40 yards of tulle, 40 more yards of netting, 10 yards of taffeta…for just the skirt. White Chantilly lace over cream cotton for the chemise, and white brocade lined with burgundy cotton interlined with cotton drill for the steel-boned corset. Another 5 yards for the veil. The skirt was fashioned after the “Think of Me” gown from the film, minus the starbursts and blue tails, and the top after the “Don Juan” ensemble, but in white with cream trim. The petticoat is taffeta, slightly trained, and trimmed with the same pearl-beaded lace as the bottom of the corset. I also made the veil, and the comb has the same pearl-beaded lace. I also made the bridesmaids’ gowns.
On the day of her wedding, which was at the same venue as my wedding, we found out the courthouse was closing earlier than anticipated. The wedding was in the courtyard, and suddenly we had nowhere to wait! Cue a scramble through bushes. Literally. In her gown! It was one of those snafus that was humorous even at the time. It was such a beautiful wedding.
Flashback to 2007. An invitation late on a Wednesday night to a renaissance fair that following Saturday resulted in some turbo-sewing and lots of sweat and worry over ruining any of that brocade!
and the bodice is fully boned. Reversible sleeves (see a trend?) tie at the shoulders with three black ribbons. Each point on the sleeves and bodice bottom have beaded tassels.
This green pure silk brocade corset is certainly a statement piece! It required drafting each half entirely separately. This is a lot more work than a typical corset, whether overbust or under. The gorgeous fox clasps aren’t actually used to hold the side closed. There is a separation there, but a panel behind it holds it closed. The back modesty panel is in two overlapping pieces as the measurements provided to me were a off. Thank goodness for being local enough (two hours) to meet to pick up! This corset also has a small pocket on the right hip.
This coat was photographed over a silk swim dress I made while outside fighting the wind during a try brief rain-break. The gown is available separately.