Lace Placement

Here is the back section with 2 layers of organza (It dulls down the golden colour to more of a cream). I experimented a lot with roughly cut out lace motifs and have pinned them in the final placement.

The edges will be trimmed with the scallop edge of my lace, and the motifs will be sewn to all three layers which creates a bit of depth.

Heres a bit of a 'look' picture - the corseted bodice will have more densely packed lace and I'll be wearing this fur stole on the day. Sorry for the terrible light but I end up working on this in the evenings after work!

Cutting into the REAL fabric!!

My dress design has changed somewhat since the last post, but all will be revealed over the next few days!

I ironed my main fabric (ahimsa silk) and my interlinng fabric (hemp silk) and laid them on the floor with the skirt panel pieces (back only so far), making sure the grain was correct - easy on these fabrics because the weave is so pronounced!

I trimmed the excess fabric, pinned and thread traced the pieces so that I could work with a huge seam allowance to allow for alterations later. Thread tracing is clearly something that never happens with ready-to-wear, but it didn't take too long and I know that the interlining is securely in place and I can see the 'pattern' on both sides.

Up close view of the thread tracing (don't forget the pattern markings)!

Here are the back two panels ready for some new layers...

Video in the practice dress!

Appalling drunken behaviour at the wedding where I wore my practice dress... but it does show the dress well, and shows that the corset still does its job when I've stopped thinking about sucking my tummy in long ago!!!

The words I say are "Grrrrrr!....   Take a picture!"

The practice dress revealed...

I finished the practice dress in good time. The practice dress allowed me to judge the fit, practice the laced back, make sure the corsetry works and to practice the lace overlayer. Here are a few pics, sorry they are few and oddly cropped but I was at a wedding and don't want to show pics of other people for privacy reasons!

I'm really happy overall, I think it will work well with the longer skirt and in my wedding dress fabrics. I'm going to revisit the corset pattern a little as I think it is too tight at the bust edges!

Finishing Up

Edging the dress with black ribbon and catching the underlining on the underside.

Reinforcing the bottom of the back seam.

Making the string for the lace up back

No photos for the modesty panel I'm afraid but I positioned it whist wearing the dress (with help from the fiancé) and tacked it in securely with black thread where it would be hidden by the lace pattern.

Voila!

Warning: Construction

Pinning the rouleau loops to the combined net layer, outer layer and corset layer (I'll be hand sewing in the lining)

I top stitched around the whole neckline and down the back seams, securing the rouleau loops.

I then got some practice in with whipstitching the raw edges. I have an overlocker but know that in couture sewing this is not the done thing! A hand finished raw edge lies flatter and therefore looks better. I borrowed and later bought a thimble for this.

This is my finger before I resorted to using a thimble! I've never really used a thimble before and it took some getting used to. Its now a good friend.

I trimmed the bottom of my corset layer with this gold. It get covered with the underlayer anyway but I like these little details that you can put into your own home sewing.

Useful sewing reading, construction and

I had to do a bit of reading for the next stages - here are a few excerpts from a book I bought called Bridal Couture

Heres the process for making the corset loops (actually called rouleau loops) - heres a good online tutorial for the entire lace back process. I sewed my fabric right sides together in a pipe and attached piping cord to one end.

I then used my rouleau loop turner (absolutely ESSENTIAL for doing this)

Ta Da! Corset loop cord.

Heres the dress starting to be constructed.