Wedding Outfit for Young Lady
As those who follow me on Instagram will have probably guessed, we have an important wedding coming up. And sewing part of the family’s wedding outifts – in particular the girls’ – has been top on my priority list.
Long gone are the times when I could just chose whichever pattern (Citronille mostly), fabric (Liberty for sure) and accessories (pink bows most likely) I liked without much consultation – here is a picture of this blessed era…
Now, I know that my girls will still accept willingly to wear a dress – the results of many years of them having not a single pair of trousers in their wardrobe, like their mummy! But I also know that they will have to be deeply involved in pattern and fabric choice – yetr another excuse to expand my fabric stash…Here is what I suggested they could choose from:
Appart from the embroided blue fabric, which I brought back from Thailand, all these beauties come from a trip to Paris last year with my best sewing friend and partner in crime Laure. I introduced her to Bennytex and she was as carried away as me, not sure it is a good excuse…
So at the beginning of September, I and the girls chose the fabrics and here are the results – I am so proud of my girls, as bling as their mummy in their fabric choice!!
This is Miss Mignonne 2’s choice:
… eand Miss Mignonne 1’s:
With such… well, high visibility fabrics, I though (or rather Mister Mignon strongly suggested) that we should go for a sober pattern. Within my (ever expanding) pattern library, Pernette by Citronille seemed to fit the bill. It is a very simple shift dress, slightly triangular, with a colar which can easily be removed and with sleeves – always useful at the end of October!
Miss Mignonne #1 wasn’t convinced by the dress shape but Miss Mignonne #2 was thrilled, I therefore started working on her outfit. Given the quantity of party fabric I had bought, I thought I could completely afford to make a wearable muslin in a nice fabric. I therefore use the pink and gold brocart which looked so similar to the red and gold she had chosen.
I made quite a few adjusmtents to the original pattern:
– I removed the collar and made the neckline deeper at the front and at the back;
– I got rid off the zip, as the dress now could be put on without;
– I lenghtened the skirt by about 15cm, as Miss Mignonne has long legs and we both prefer longer dresses anyway;
– I shortened the sleeves by 17cm, so that they would be 3/4 rather than full-lenght;
– I struggled but managed to create more room around the armpit, as I had completely forgotten this was a key problem of this pattern;
– I lined the entire dress, as metallic fabrics are so unpleasant to wear and this one was definitely very itchy unlined;
And here it the test dress, completely wearable:
After this, I immediately started the final version of the dress and obvisouly it was so much easier the second time round!I inserted gold piping at the neckline and at the sleeves but otherwise no more changes. I am thrilled by the result and so is my sweet daughter.
As I did not want this dress to be hidden under a big winter coat, I had in mind to sew a cape. And here too Miss Mignonne #2 fully validated the project. I toyed with the idea of self-drafting a pattern but quickly came accross Vanessa Pouzet’s children cape pattern, so reasonably priced and so easily sewn – in less than two hours job done (this include purchasing the pattern and assembling all sheets, on top of the actual sewing). I used a fully man-made fabric from Coupons Saint Pierre. I would have preferred wool but for one day of wear I think it will be OK…
Now working on her sister’s outfit, where more intense negotations are needed… I’ll keep you posted!
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