XP: DIY wedding dress design

HaileyDancingbear

So since posting the thread asking wether or not I should just go for it and make my dress, I've decided to start designing and drafting it.  I use a super cheap fabric called muslin to draft patterns, so once I'm done drafting the pattern, rather than go straight to cutting the materials for the dress like I'd normally do, I'll sew the pattern pieces together to create a "Rough draft" of the dress, so I can decide if I like how it looks on me or not.  I tend to be very fast at pattern drafting, so I'll be able to either decide I like it and commit to making the dress, or ditch the project and still have plenty of time to find a dress.

Here is a photo of the design (It's kind of a crappy drawing but it gets the point across) and what I have drafted so far of the skirt (Yes I know my mannequin looks like crap, stupid 15 year old me tried to spray paint angel wings on the back and the bottom half fell apart so I had to tape it back together- it's very old.)  

What do you think of it so far?  And do you think it would look better in white or blush?  

And does anyone know how I can get my photos to stop being sideways every time I try to post????????

JCbride2015

It looks like the shape and especially the corset and boning would be really flattering and pretty on.  I'm not personally a fan of layered skirts, or the princess look.  That's just me.  What fabrics are you thinking of using?

If I click on your pics, they open up larger and right-side up.  So, I don't know how to fix the sideways pics-- but at least we can click and see!

HaileyDancingbear

JCBride2014 said:

It looks like the shape and especially the corset and boning would be really flattering and pretty on.  I'm not personally a fan of layered skirts, or the princess look.  That's just me.  What fabrics are you thinking of using?

If I click on your pics, they open up larger and right-side up.  So, I don't know how to fix the sideways pics-- but at least we can click and see!

I'm a really tactile person, so I will have to go and literally feel each fabric before I choose.  I do know I don't want anything shiny, and I don't want anything stiff- I want the layers of the skirt to move easily when I move.  Also, I'm hoping a less stiff fabric will make it closer to an a-line than a princess.  I want it to have some volume to it, but I feel that if it has too much volume in addition to the layers, it's just going to be too much.  

JCbride2015

HaileyDancingbear said:

JCBride2014 said:

It looks like the shape and especially the corset and boning would be really flattering and pretty on.  I'm not personally a fan of layered skirts, or the princess look.  That's just me.  What fabrics are you thinking of using?

If I click on your pics, they open up larger and right-side up.  So, I don't know how to fix the sideways pics-- but at least we can click and see!

I'm a really tactile person, so I will have to go and literally feel each fabric before I choose.  I do know I don't want anything shiny, and I don't want anything stiff- I want the layers of the skirt to move easily when I move.  Also, I'm hoping a less stiff fabric will make it closer to an a-line than a princess.  I want it to have some volume to it, but I feel that if it has too much volume in addition to the layers, it's just going to be too much.  

That sounds nice.  I think a non-shiny, non-stiff fabric would definitely take some of the princess look out of it.  And I didn't necessarily mean princess as a bad thing at all!  It's just not me, so I didn't want to offer opinion based on different tastes from yours.

HaileyDancingbear

JCBride2014 said:

HaileyDancingbear said:

JCBride2014 said:

It looks like the shape and especially the corset and boning would be really flattering and pretty on.  I'm not personally a fan of layered skirts, or the princess look.  That's just me.  What fabrics are you thinking of using?

If I click on your pics, they open up larger and right-side up.  So, I don't know how to fix the sideways pics-- but at least we can click and see!

I'm a really tactile person, so I will have to go and literally feel each fabric before I choose.  I do know I don't want anything shiny, and I don't want anything stiff- I want the layers of the skirt to move easily when I move.  Also, I'm hoping a less stiff fabric will make it closer to an a-line than a princess.  I want it to have some volume to it, but I feel that if it has too much volume in addition to the layers, it's just going to be too much.  

That sounds nice.  I think a non-shiny, non-stiff fabric would definitely take some of the princess look out of it.  And I didn't necessarily mean princess as a bad thing at all!  It's just not me, so I didn't want to offer opinion based on different tastes from yours.

Don't worry, I totally get that everyone has different tastes so you'll never need to worry about upsetting me over things like that  Even if someone commented and said they hated my entire design I wouldn't mind (As long as they weren't just doing it to be mean.) Your comment about the princessy skirt was just along the same lines I was thinking- in the sketch it does look a bit more princessy than I would like in real life, and although I don't always mind princess skirts, I think combining the layers and a lot of volume would be too much.

jdluvr06

I really like the design. I'm not a fashion savvy person so I don't know a thing about fabrics so I can't really help with that.

monkeysip

It's really hard to tell from what you have in muslin right now, but your sketch is gorgeous!  I'm excited to see your progress later on!  It'll be really special to have a wedding dress you made yourself!

HaileyDancingbear

Also, what do you guys think about making the bottom two layers of the skirt removable?  Then if I wanted to I could have the dress just be knee length at the reception so it would be easier to move and dance in.  

Then I could also wear the dress again as a cocktail dress on our anniversary.  

HisGirlFriday13

Your sketches are well-done, and the design is well-executed. It's not my personal style, but that's neither here nor there. 

I think it will be very well-done when it's done, and beautiful, if just NMS. 

If you're happy with it, go with it! I ditto @JCBride2014 about the right kind of fabric not making it super-princessy.

KytchynWitche

I think you're very talented, and I really admire you for making your own dress. I hope you're going to keep showing us prog-pics!

As for the design itself, I can't say I'm a fan of the layered skirt thing, BUT I can imagine how lovely it's going to be on you. I think it's a great choice, as long as you love it.

Blergbot

Looks good! I love the idea of a detachable skirt, as long as you think it wouldn't fall off or something. I also think it would be cute in blush, though it is very in right now, so just make sure that's really what you want.