Wedding Sewing 1: Introduction
Big news: I made a wedding outfit! (and got married!) Okay, if you've been following me over on Instagram, this isn't big news at all. In fact, I took y'all on a journey on how I completed my wedding dress from concept design to final garment! While my stories were sporadic and follow my stream of consciousness (translate: not coherent), I thought to write a series of blog posts to organize my thoughts, share my lessons learned, and summarize/reflect on my experience.
Sewing a wedding dress is a HUGE undertaking. My wedding dress eventually evolved into a 4-piece wedding ensemble. Was I in over my head? Hah, probably! But hey- beginner's confidence is the best weapon against the fear that paralyzes my anxious, imposter syndrome-ridden mind. That said, don't let the complicated sewing be a barrier! There are a lot of resources on the internet and very knowledgeable resources/seamstresses both locally and online that one can tap into for help. At the end of this journey, I am honestly extremely proud of myself for dreaming up a design and turning it into reality -- the creativity that was required, the skills that I've learned, the mistakes I've made...! Yes, this dress is not perfect but we're also our own worst critic. Psst, try not to look too closely at my outfit at the end of this series *wink wink*
***Spoiler Alert: it was POURING all day and I did not actually wear my dress to the courthouse. But a portion of my dress did make it - read on, it'll make sense later.***
We've finally made a concrete plan to sign the paperwork late 2022/early 2023. The target date was May 2023, with Fall 2023 as back up. I began my research in January, started patterning around mid-February, cut into the final fabric early April, and rushed towards a May 30 court date. As you can tell, the time line is a TAD tight. Do not recommend, by the way, because I can still feel my body vibrating from burnout at the time of writing. If you are relatively new to sewing, I recommend giving yourself more time than you think you need.
The other thing I found myself stumbling over is making decisions. Decision paralysis is REAL! And my inner perfectionist does not help. At. All. Finding my why for my wedding outfit helped me make decisions easier. And at the end of the day, I really have to trust my gut and go with it. Because this is a test in self-confidence as well.
The other thing I really wished I had taken into consideration was how much time and energy I would have. I happen to be in a phase where I'm stretching myself in my career, which means, I'm doing hard stuff both at work AND at sewing. The attitude I took as I embarked on this journey was of experimentation and play. However, the joy of playing and experimenting wore away at the end and I really wished I had extra time to rest, reset, and enjoy the journey to the fullest. Make sure to build in extra time for rest if you're planning some wedding sewing.
However, if you're planning a big wedding with a lot of life going on, you may not have sufficient time to research, sew, and hand sew some more, then perhaps it's worth consider buying. Alternatively, if you've been dreaming of sewing your own, consider buying off the rack/second hand and tailoring to yourself to fulfill the sewing itch.
Does sewing level matter? I want to say yes, but I also don't want to discourage anyone from sewing their own dream wedding outfit. Because the truth is that I felt like I've leveled up in this very challenging project (You'll see in the blog posts to come). Including extra time to test and practice will go a long way, if you're not confident in your skills or starting with a base pattern. That said, no one said a wedding dress has to be a big gown like what we traditionally see in the stores. It's your wedding day, your wedding dress can be anything you want - a simple white, or colorful!, wrap dress can be *your* wedding dress. There. Are. No. Rules. Minus physics.
How it started
Ever since I fell in love with sewing, I *knew* that I would want to sew my own wedding dress. We're not doing a big thing, just us at the courthouse. So technically, the only person who cares about what I wore is me. And the stubborn sewist in me is *determined* to make my own dress.***Spoiler Alert: it was POURING all day and I did not actually wear my dress to the courthouse. But a portion of my dress did make it - read on, it'll make sense later.***
We've finally made a concrete plan to sign the paperwork late 2022/early 2023. The target date was May 2023, with Fall 2023 as back up. I began my research in January, started patterning around mid-February, cut into the final fabric early April, and rushed towards a May 30 court date. As you can tell, the time line is a TAD tight. Do not recommend, by the way, because I can still feel my body vibrating from burnout at the time of writing. If you are relatively new to sewing, I recommend giving yourself more time than you think you need.
Putting my Project Management Skills to the test
With a target date in mind and a ton of tasks swirling in my head, I really needed to take some time to organize myself. I've written many lists, made a Gantt chart, and made several spreadsheets in an attempt to stay organized. In the end, my dear friend, Mariko (@marikoabecreative) helped me pull it all together on a Miro board. She pulled all the major tasks and laid it out in a timeline to ensure 1) I prioritize/schedule my tasks appropriately and in a timely manner, and 2) I have sufficient time to do it all plus some time buffer. I'm so grateful she lends me her expertise in project management - a much needed skill I haven't acquired yet. I spent many-a-nights obsessing over getting ahead of the schedule - I blame my inner over-achiever. But the Miro board was so helpful in assuring myself that I was on track. If you are interested in learning how, here is a link to her YouTube tutorial
.
The other thing I found myself stumbling over is making decisions. Decision paralysis is REAL! And my inner perfectionist does not help. At. All. Finding my why for my wedding outfit helped me make decisions easier. And at the end of the day, I really have to trust my gut and go with it. Because this is a test in self-confidence as well.
The other thing I really wished I had taken into consideration was how much time and energy I would have. I happen to be in a phase where I'm stretching myself in my career, which means, I'm doing hard stuff both at work AND at sewing. The attitude I took as I embarked on this journey was of experimentation and play. However, the joy of playing and experimenting wore away at the end and I really wished I had extra time to rest, reset, and enjoy the journey to the fullest. Make sure to build in extra time for rest if you're planning some wedding sewing.
But do you *really* want to sew a wedding dress?
If you're reading this post, you're perhaps considering the possibility of making your own wedding dress. I've shared a lot of what I wish I had done differently, but my biased answer is still YES! Do it if you want a challenge. Do it if you want the accomplishment. Do it if you want to, period.
However, if you're planning a big wedding with a lot of life going on, you may not have sufficient time to research, sew, and hand sew some more, then perhaps it's worth consider buying. Alternatively, if you've been dreaming of sewing your own, consider buying off the rack/second hand and tailoring to yourself to fulfill the sewing itch.
Does sewing level matter? I want to say yes, but I also don't want to discourage anyone from sewing their own dream wedding outfit. Because the truth is that I felt like I've leveled up in this very challenging project (You'll see in the blog posts to come). Including extra time to test and practice will go a long way, if you're not confident in your skills or starting with a base pattern. That said, no one said a wedding dress has to be a big gown like what we traditionally see in the stores. It's your wedding day, your wedding dress can be anything you want - a simple white, or colorful!, wrap dress can be *your* wedding dress. There. Are. No. Rules. Minus physics.
My Wedding Sewing Journey
Without further ado, here are the links to the blog series of the biggest, boldest, most challenging sewing project I've tackled so far. Just a note here, designs are meant to evolve and this journey was most certainly not linear, as is all journeys in life. Please grab a cuppa and enjoy my adventure! As always, let me know if you have questions or just want to chat!
Introduction (you’re currently reading this one!)
Research and Designs
Understanding Couture Construction Methods and Sewing Techniques
Sourcing Materials
Patterning Initial Design
All about the Top
All about the Skirt
All about the Overlay Dress
All about the Cape
Final Reveal
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