How to Make a Wedding Dress for a Friend
Weddings are complicated affairs and one of my best mates is getting married. The trouble is, both her and her husband are visual artists and they are always broke. This shouldn’t really be a problem, but she asked each of her friends to pitch in a bit so that she could reduce the cost and still have an event that reflected their aesthetics and their love. All of her friends got together at her house and we came up with a common strategy and theme for the wedding, that would enable us to create something magical.
We chose to go for a Monet inspired wedding. All of the colours would be chosen from a French Impressionist palette. Everything from printed tins with chocolates for brides maids to flower arrangements would be in the soft pinks, purples and greens of a Monet garden. The dress was a greater challenge because she had a limited budget, but wanted something special.
I started looking at dresses featured in different impressionist paintings and thought that Monet offered some simple lines that could be easily duplicated. I found the above image in a Monet painting and the bride absolutely loved it. The trick is to first go to a shop that sells drapery fabric. This is an interesting way to find cheaper fabrics that will have a nice line and fall to them, without having to spend out on expensive silks or brocades. Then, you will need to scour resources for period costuming either at the costume shop at your local theatre or university or online. If you have good connections, at this point, it might actually be worth borrowing a period dress instead of making one, but all brides tend to get carried away and have fantasies about having a family heirloom that their daughters will wear. Taking that into account, you want to simplify the lines of the dress as much as possible, and focus on creating the highest quality stitching so that the dress will stand the test of time. The dress above is perfect. It can be broken down into simple elements that you already know how to sew, but taken together they create a look that is distinctly French Impressionist; three quarter sleeves, full length rolling pleats for the skirt, and a fitted bodice. The slightly high neck is key, it is perfect for a spring or autumn wedding and the modesty is actually quite sexy.
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