My Wedding Gown

 To design my wedding gown I used three patterns and combined the elements of each design that I liked. I used McCall's 4713 for the skirt. I liked the train and fullness. For the bodice I used Simplicity 9829 but used the sweetheart neckline from Simplicity2174.

In this photo you can see the bustle. I made a European bustle which ties up under the skirt through a series of carefully placed rings. Pinning the bustle was a little tricky. I had only ever pinned a bustle while a gown was being fitted on to the wearer of the gown, in this case I had to pin the bustle while my dress form was wearing the gown. It took a little while for me to adjust the height of the dress form just right. : ) Nonetheless I was pleased with the outcome.

Here is a close up of the sash front which I hand embroidered and beaded with tiny pearls.

And the back of the sash closed with ribbon flowers I made from organdy ribbon and satin ribbon. It was difficult to capture the details since it is white-on-white. : )

Since I was quite young I had always dreamed of sewing my wedding gown. It was a fun experience I will never forget!