Just a day after moving in to my very own 'sewing studio', I'd received a request from a friend's friend who needed to get her wedding dress altered and her big day was just 2 weeks away! It was a pretty exciting project for me and I'm appreciative of the trust given to alter the dress as desired. It was such an honor for me!
Let's begin with the background of the wedding dress. It was purchased from an online website which appears to be more on the reputable and trustworthy side and the dress was very close to the pictures online. Quality was good in terms of the Chantilly lace they used, good chiffon, lined well, neat sewing, French seams and some nice beadwork. So I'd say it delivered what was promised.
Probably a few minor alterations needed and it'll fit much better for her. The sleeves were a little to wide and not long enough for her. And the placement of the belt looked a little off because it positioned a little too high in the front. So it was an issue with proportions and measurements. I also noticed a missing hook closure for the back and I found it odd that they have the material tag label sewn at the side where u can see it from outside since its sheer netting- the kind of label that says like 100% polyester, hand wash, etc. Also noticed that the button hoops stretches a lot revealing gaps at the back when worn.
I tackled the main issue first- the I'll fitting sleeve that is too wide and wrinkles a lot! The reason it appeared so wrinkled was because the entire sleeve was made up of two layers of netting so they did not seem to sit well together or was not flushed well to each other, hence, the wrinkly appearance. I removed one of the layers, and it look much better when the lace is placed on a single layer base so that the lace will stand out a bit more. I also shortened it to become 3/4 sleeves which is more flattering for her and finished the edges with lace borders instead of the usual straight hem.
Let's begin with the background of the wedding dress. It was purchased from an online website which appears to be more on the reputable and trustworthy side and the dress was very close to the pictures online. Quality was good in terms of the Chantilly lace they used, good chiffon, lined well, neat sewing, French seams and some nice beadwork. So I'd say it delivered what was promised.
Probably a few minor alterations needed and it'll fit much better for her. The sleeves were a little to wide and not long enough for her. And the placement of the belt looked a little off because it positioned a little too high in the front. So it was an issue with proportions and measurements. I also noticed a missing hook closure for the back and I found it odd that they have the material tag label sewn at the side where u can see it from outside since its sheer netting- the kind of label that says like 100% polyester, hand wash, etc. Also noticed that the button hoops stretches a lot revealing gaps at the back when worn.
I tackled the main issue first- the I'll fitting sleeve that is too wide and wrinkles a lot! The reason it appeared so wrinkled was because the entire sleeve was made up of two layers of netting so they did not seem to sit well together or was not flushed well to each other, hence, the wrinkly appearance. I removed one of the layers, and it look much better when the lace is placed on a single layer base so that the lace will stand out a bit more. I also shortened it to become 3/4 sleeves which is more flattering for her and finished the edges with lace borders instead of the usual straight hem.
Left: after removing an extra layer of netting and finishing off the edge with lace borders. Right: the original sleeve. Notice how much the lace stands out more after removing the extra layer of netting?
Next I proceeded to adjust the belt position. It required an intricacy of delicate handwork to carefully unpick the lace that was holding down the satin belt, being very careful not to fray or pucker anything. Spent a lot of time just to unpick the lace pieces. Moved the belt an inch lower at the sides and front to flatter her narrow waistline better. Previously it sat above the waist level and the proportion looked off.
Repositioned the belt lower and secured it down so that it will not get misshapen or droop down like how it did.
The next issue was the back. It looked a little unpolished originally with some straggly extended lace beyond the netting. I agreed with the bride that a V-back design will be nicer so that's what I did. Added on additional lace, made of the same material to extend the width of the back panels. This made a major improvement to how it looked from the back. It has a more professional looking finish with this scalloped shaped lace bordering.
Before/After of adding additional lace. Transformed into a scalloped lace edge V-back design.
The missing hook partner. Had to fix this and also added on a white piece of fabric for the backing of the buttons so that it does not look like it's gaping and stretching the button loops too much.
Close up of how it looks like BEFORE alteration.
AFTER: Close up of the final finishing. Added the hook closure and a piece of white fabric as backing for the buttons.
I'm sure the bride will look ethereally beautiful on her big day. My buddy Dan Yao (http://www.daniellezhao.com) will be her makeup artist! Thanks to her for getting me connected with the bride-to-be as well. Can't wait to see the photos of the actual wedding!
Love,
Sarah Zainal
Love,
Sarah Zainal
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