Sewing My Dream Princess Bridal Gown - part 1
How many times in your life do you get to wear a magnificent dress completely unfit for everyday life? Your wedding day is perfect for going all out. In this post, I’ll begin to design the crystal bridal gown.
Welcome dreamers and brides!
In this series, I plan the most incredible dream fairytale wedding at Walt Disney World. Come with me as I craft, design, sew, and plan my dream event bursting at the seams with fireworks, sparkles, and smiles.
To begin, let’s make a plan.
I know I want something a bit more statement making than my original wedding dress. The silhouette needs to be much more of a small ballgown/large A-line shape. The neckline needs to be ladylike. (I’ll save the sexy for the wedding night lingerie). I tested two waistlines and landed on a soft Basque point. The bodice also needs to have a lace up corset draped in lots of lux fabric.
For details, I love crystals more than lace or applique. The fabric is going to have lots of shine and a glitter effect so I don’t need to go overboard with extras.
I’m IN LOVE with dramatic trains so I know I want one of those. Circular trains aren’t my favorite so I added my signature “squoval” shape.
After testing different lengths on my mannequin, I went with 2 yards of fabric as the length. As of right now the train won’t be detachable so it needs to be manageable with a bustle.
I choose 2 fabrics, a lightweight white satin that I can’t stop touching. and this dazzling shimmering crinkle chiffon. These might be too much for any other venue but will SHINE in a Disney venue. My favorite part is that there’s sparkle without glitter fall out so no worries about making a mess.
After going over several crystal options, I landed on these clear glass ones in a silver setting. I wanted jewelry quality stones and settings not rhinestones.
After draping tests, I realized there was no way to get the amount of volume and A-line shape I wanted with just fabric. I ordered an inexpensive tulle petticoat and small 2 hoop skirt and like magic, the skirt instantly changed shape. It went from fabric to a wedding dress.
Now for…
For the satin lining, I want two layers with a train. I’ll also need a yard for the lined satin bodice. For the shimmer outer layer, I want two layers, a train and enough to drape on the bodice. The satin is too thin for a nice structure on the corset so I’ll need some fusible interfacing. To complete the corset I’ll need silver eyelets and lacing. The dress won’t create that ‘A’ shape on its own so I’ll also need some tulle and a small hoop skirt.
If I’ve done my calculations correctly (which I probably haven’t) that comes to:
11 yards of white satin
11 yards of shimmer chiffon
1 yard of interfacing
eyelets and ribbon (or fabric made into a lace)
plenty of white and clear thread
several strands of crystals
a premade tulle petticoat or crinoline
a hoop skirt
