Dress for a country wedding

30th June -

I've been invited to an in-law's wedding at a country house in Yeovil. Though I certainly don't need a new dress, I've decided to make one anyway, even though the wedding is on the 10th, and I'll only have the evenings to work on it! So here goes -

I want something a bit 40's, a bit showgirl on her day off. Look through a load of books and patterns until I'm very confused......

I'm very taken with the idea of a peplum - sure to enhance my curves! Plough through all of my patterns, and finally settle on a mixture of 2 - a 1970's Le Roy pattern for the bodice and sleeves, and a 1950's Simplicity pattern for the skirt. I'll somehow work out the peplum myself.

Left - 1950's Simplicity Pattern; right - 1970's Le Roy pattern

3rd July -
Another trip to my favourite local fabric store, Dalston Mill Fabrics http://www.dalstonmillfabrics.co.uk/. I went in with one idea - emerald green crepe - and came out with sometyhing completely different - a light weight silk with pink flowers on a brown background, pink lining, and a brown zip.

Detail of fabric

 4th July -
After messing around with the pattern a bit, I cut everything out

5th July -
I start sewing like a crazy person. I do the back skirt, back darts, front side bodice, and the front yoke. Where possible, I use French seams (see previous 'If She Sews She Knows' skirt diary), because the fabric frays a graet deal and I want the inside to be as neat as the outside.
I also make a pattern for the peplum out of newspaper, using the Le Roy skirt as a guide. Hope it works!

6th July -
More frantic sewing. I cut out peplum and lining, and sew the 2 layers together. The skirt and bodice front and back gets sewn at side seams, leaving a gap on one side for the zip. Next, the peplum is tacked to the skirt, then the skirt is attached to the bodice. Try it on - looks good so far, but there's still loads to do.

8th July -
I work until 5 in the morning, but it's worth it. The sleeves, collar, zip, and some of the insides get finished. But I'll have to do the rest on the train to Yeovil and in the hotel tomorrow!

9th July -
As predicted, I finish all of the hems in the hotel room.

10th July - The finished dress!

Wearing the finished dress in the chapel

I'm really pleased with the result. I teamed the dreass with some Marc Jacobs slingbacks that had a vintage look, as well as my favourite seamed hold ups and a great feathered head piece that I found in a vintage shop in Miami. It saw me through the whole day, hardly creasing at all.

The picture above isn't great, so here are some more, so you can see the whloe dress: