Fact: BD#2 is getting married in September.
Fact: Her wedding dress is a size 12.
Fact: She is a size 2.
Fact: The dress is strapless with a low back and we plan to add to the top and back, and then add sleeves.
Fact: The dress is ivory matte satin with some pretty spectacular silver metallic embroidery.
Fact: While I remodeled BD#1's wedding gown, the changes weren't nearly so extreme.
So I need help.
Has anyone ever done this kind of dramatic alterations to a wedding gown or evening gown? What did you learn in the process that you would be willing to share? What works?
Next, has anyone ever done machine embroidery with metallic thread? What are your secrets? What's your favorite brand of thread? Does the needle make a difference? What do I need to know to make this process less frustrating?
Oh goodness is all I can say! I would sooner start from scratch! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteWow that's an ambitious project. I can't help with the alterations but can give you a couple little tidbits on the embroidery. Metallic thread is moody. As always, start with a good needle and since you'll have plenty of scraps, do some testing on that same material to tweak the settings on your machine. I've had better luck embroidering metallic at the slowest speed possible. As soon as you see ANY fraying by the needle or twisting at the spool, stop and re-thread. You will probably want to use the clear wash-away stabilizer on the top. I know you can't wash it, but the stabilizer will peel away and you can use tweezers to get any remaining tid bits. I've also hear of people using plastic wrap as the top stabilizer. I haven't tried it myself but it looked like it worked well when used for straight line stitching. As for brand, I usually have good luck with both Gutterman and Sulky. Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, that dress is stunning! I can't really help with your questions, but I can tell you that I had a similar dress and wore a little bolero jacket with it - you can see the picture on my blog, in the avatar or I could email you some - could that be an option?
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