Wife Material

It’s the one dress that most women have thought about since they were girls. At first, they don’t dwell too much on the details of their intended or even the marriage itself, just mostly on the feeling of euphoria dressed in white and being the centre of attention for a whole day.

My first experience of a wedding was at age 5. I was the flower girl at a relative’s wedding and my sister was the little bride resplendent in white. I remember being upset that it wasn’t me dressed in her glorious looking dress and I did cry with sibling envy until I accepted that I was to be clad in pretty satiny rose pink, clutching the flower basket.

Anyway, I find that my sewing skills have advanced with practise, research and a loving dedication to the craft. I used 8 yards of silk twill fabric for the shell and 6 yards of silk satin for the lining. So, precisely 14 yards of wife material! 😀

But first a toile, for those who toile hard slay harder blah blah blah. The primary design details are a cinch and flare A-line silhouette, bra cup bustier foundation with no waistline seam. Fullness was introduced using flare and tucks.

I was working with delicate fabrics, so sewing a test garment was imperative, as stitching and restitching over and over to correct alignment errors would take its toll on the ivory colour.

Blind-stitching 12 yards of crinoline by hand into the hem taught me a few things about the patience of Job, I had Tupac’s “All eyes on me” album on steady replay to survive, Lol.

I’ve always been intrigued by the Savoir Faire expressions of top haute couture houses, so documenting the intricate process was enjoyable especially as it helped me appreciate the effort that I put into this sewing project.