So, I'm working with DD on her wedding (mid-September). I have been to a wedding dress trunk show with her, and I've watched many episodes of Say Yes to the Dress, and I've kept updated on her Pinterest boards of wedding dresses....
....and last night she asked me if I'd be willing to help her make it.
I used to LOVE to sew... I made all my high school clothes. I took a sewing class at a local fabric store (which there were lots of in the 60s). And I applied to Emerson College because I thought I wanted to be a costume designer. All that being said...
The only sewing I've done since then is some really kick-butt Halloween costumes. So I'm VERY intimidated by her request. I explained all the pitfalls. A simple sheath is probably doable, but a dress with a lot of lace and beading, not so much. The finishings will be the most difficult. Zippers and buttons and topstitching will all scream "homemade." It's going to take a lot longer than you think, and with all the other wedding tasks, do we want to risk running to David's the week before for an off-the-rack?
But she said, "Come on, Mom, it will be fun!"
My questions for you seamstresses/fabric-workers out there:
Advice?
What fabric is the most forgiving? I know that some fabrics pucker and stick to the needle.
What finishings will add elegance, not tackiness?
Zipper or buttons?
Is lace hard to work with?
Paper pattern (if they even sell them these days) or muslin?
Should we invest in a dress form?
Any other advice: things to stay away from and things that will probably work well for a wedding dress?
She is looking for a fairly rustic Vermont wedding, so she doesn't expect long trains and bling. Her look is retro--50s or even earlier--Art Nouveau/turn of the century. Or boho.