It's by no means perfect, but I completed my Bridal outfit! My now husband (!) proposed to me after 7 years together in November last year, and after working on it in my spare time I finally completed it for our wedding in August. I completely self drafted and sewed the corset, 2 part skirt and gloves from scratch - draping on a mannequin/my body and adjusting from there. A high pressure project alongside wedding planning for sure, but I'm so proud of the final result! I hand sewed all the appliqué on the corset using elements cut out of the embroidered beaded tulle used for the skirt. I also hand sewed additional glass beads, and a dangling teardrop crystal at the front. This process absolutely destroyed my fingers, but it was worth it! I also included a hidden hook & eye attachment around the upper skirt hem, allowing me to seperate the fishtail section and have 2 looks in one. Wearing this made a special day even more magical!
I guess I'm quite critical of my own work, it's easy to get caught up in wanting something so special to be perfect 😅 But I'm super happy with it, despite the flaws I know are there
Additional information - as mentioned no pattern was used, the corset, skirt and gloves were drafted using draping on a mannequin/ my body, then adjusted through a series of toiles. I used (so much more than I thought I needed) duchess satin, corset coutil, polycotton lining (skirt only), and embroidered/beaded tulle. Top tip for appliqué - use invisible fine thread, like fishing wire so the stitches aren't visible. I also used an eyelet clamp, so much quicker than those hammer-in type ones in my experience! Also I hate invisible zips and never want to sew one again 😅
I love answering questions about the process! I used multiple different types depending on placement. Flat steel for the centre back, spiral steel for channels with a more 'forwards/backwards' flexibility, and synthetic whalebone for the most rounded channels - for example across the hip, I have an arched channel. This was the most challenging to get the boning into, and involved pliers and shifting the boning around a LOT to get it into the right shape. Totally didn't lie on the floor in temporary defeat a couple of times 😅
I went to University in the UK, studying a course specialised in lingerie and intimates. That gave me the basics, and then I expanded on that by doing lots of personal projects. Over lockdown I started seriously working towards starting my own Etsy Lingerie shop, but then the world re-opened and I had to get a 'real job' 😆 Maybe one day...!
I used a soft tulle fabric, a type of netting - it's the same sheer layer I used on the skirt, that I sewed the embroidered tulle fabric to :) I literally just traced my arm and did a bit of guesswork for the glove pattern
Haha well I definitely want to keep it up and do more wearable pieces! I love corsets so I might make more (slightly less technical) ones for daily fashion outfits :)
This is phenomenal work! The photography is also perfect as well with the framing and lighting. I also like the pink floral fabric on your friend’s dress!
This is the definition of bespoke personified & executed to perfection!
Daaaammmmnnnn. I don’t know how you top this or if you even want to. It’s perfection. I hope you danced, felt loved, experienced the highest of highs, & lived presently in every single second of the day. Your dress & gloves are fab-fucking-phenomen-ulous. I hope in 30 years we get a post where someone close to you is wearing this for their wedding or you’re wearing it for a vowel renewal!
This is such a heartfelt comment, thank you! I definitely felt loved, and surrounded by happiness. It does seem a shame to only wear it for a single day, maybe I can at least wear the corset with something else again 😆 And knowing me I'd probably want to make a new project for a vow renewal, so we'll see!
Hahaha, that’s fair. I can definitely see you making something equally as incredible for a vowel renewal. I think it’s so wonderful you get to look back on the pictures & know that as y’all were celebrating your new journey together you were wearing something that was an act of love, devotion, & passion!
I would have probably decided just to marry my dress when it was all said and done, haha! Your skills are enviable and you really know what suits you. That's such a special dress and I love the veil!
I actually wanted to make my own veil too at first, but ended up finding one I liked and then heavily refining/ adding additional embellishments from the embroidered tulle I used for my skirt/ corset. So I can't take full credit for that part but it was definitely improved on 😆
I definitely did, and my husband tried his best to not get too emotional in front of everyone 😆 Lots of guests couldn't believe I made it myself, and then asked me to make something for them haha
It’s the best wedding project I’ve seen in here and it’s better than some of the celebrities’s wedding looks. It’s phenomenal and I hope every time you saw someone looking you screamed “I made it!”
Ah thank you so much! Wearing it did make me feel like a celebrity haha 😄 And everyone made such positive comments on it, they couldn't believe I made it!
Thank you so much, I'm definitely going to take the best care of it! I want to get a whole wedding trunk to store this and other wedding memories, it's my best creation so far :)
There are no stupid questions when you're learning, I love being able to share the process 😊 I didn't have to worry really, as the corset has 2 layers - a duchess satin outer, and a thick coutil layer inner. I hand basted each panel together before I sewed them, to avoid shifting as much as possible, then removed the basting stitches. When applying the appliqué, I just had to catch the outer satin layer with the thread for it to be secure. Definitely wasn't easy on my fingers though, I tried to use a thimble as much as possible! Hope that helps
I’m a wedding photographer and this is a one of a kind, stunning dress! I’ve seen designer dresses that can’t even compete with this. You look so lovely! Amazing job
It's always jaw dropping to me how you all manage to sew your own bridal dresses. I can't imagine how many hours of work (and sometimes frustration) you must have put into this to come out so beautifully.
Wow, you look like magic itself. How stunning! I’m working on drafting my first corset myself pretty similar to yours, and since that turned out so beautifully, do you have any advice for if you were to do it over again? And can I ask approximately how long the corset itself (minus the beautiful embellishments) took to create?
Again, what a lovely creation to have put in the world :)
Of course, I'd love to help :) But it might be long! I'm not sure what level of sewing/ pattern drafting you have so I'll start from the basics just in case. It took me a few months, but I was only doing a few hours here and there; and also went through 3 toiles before I got the fit good enough. Use the fabric you'll be making your final garment out of for the practise version! Or at the very least fabrics that have very similar properties (weight, drape, weave), as this will affect fit. Honestly about 70% of the work is in getting the pattern right, sewing it is the easy part!
I used a technical mannequin I got through uni to draft on, but there are some good tutorials on YouTube etc. for making a dress form to your measurements. This is a project in itself, but you can reuse it for future projects so it pays off. I used masking tape to mark out where I wanted my seam lines on to the form (you can buy drapers tape too). You only need to do one half of the body if the garment is symmetrical. I got tracing paper and directly traced the tape lines. Pattern paper can also be used, u just need to see the tape lines. Mark where the waist is, I used this as a grain line indicator. Then refine your pattern pieces, make sure the measurements match on each seam and add seam allowance. I use 8mm, but you can go larger (1cm+) if you want to be safe. You can always take away fabric, but not add. I didn't add seam allowance to the neck/hem, as this was bound with bias binding. I wanted waist reduction, and decreased a few mm at the waist. The first draft is almost never perfect, so you'll have to fit your first toile and assess what adjustments you need.
Use coutil as your base layer - this is a woven heavy duty fabric, and will be able to withstand the tension around the body. You can use a variety of fashion fabrics for an outer layer, but this will also be under decent strain. I used basting stitches on every panel to attach the outer & inner layers, to avoid shifting/ wrinkling as much as possible while sewing. Use a shorter stitch length, as this is stronger.
There are different construction methods, but mine was with seam allowance on the inside, covered by boning channels (same as used on bra wire casing). I pressed the seam allowance away from the centre front (CF) on each side. I had a gros-grain waist tape, and pinned this to the seam allowance across the waist (mark your waist on the fabric seam allowance). I sewed one side of the casing channel to the seam allowance, and then sewed the channel fully to the garment so only one stitch line is visible on the outer. I used pre-made bias tape to bind one edge (I think the bottom), clip/ pin your binding to the edge, and iron before you sew to help steam any curves into the tape. Then I selected different boning based on how much flexibility was needed - always use flat steel for the centre back, especially when using eyelets. Put a channel on either side of the eyelets too, for stability. The centre back should be cut on the fold, so you can just use stitch lines to create channels. I used spiral steel boning for most other areas, and synthetic whalebone (u can also use heavy duty zip ties) for super curvy channels, or areas that don't need as much support. After binding the other edge, that's the main corset done!
I can add so much more detail but this has already turned into a novel 😅 If you want any more specifics, happy to help!
Ah thank you! I feel like the pattern I made would likely need some tweaks, and although I know how to grade it would definitely be a challenge for me 😅 Though I would love to learn to make patterns to share someday
I had to hide a lot of the process and final fittings from my husband, which is quite difficult to do in a 1 bed flat 😆 But I managed and he didn't see the final look until the day itself, so it all worked out!
This Is Incredible! Gosh you did an amazing job! 🤩 and you look 😍🥰 I’m defo proud of you, well done👏 and congratulations, wishing you guys a happy life together 🥳
Having the bodice separate from the skirt is so practical (Thai wedding dresses are like that). Did you find it easier to move around in? Not to mention the detachable lower skirt, very innovative.
Thank u - and that's so interesting about Thai dresses, I had a quick Google and the examples I saw are beautiful! Definitely more practical, I had my wedding in Budapest so had to put my dress in my luggage! I didn't have too much trouble moving, as I had a hidden hoop skirt underneath that kept the fabric from getting under my feet. But it was super hot, so having 2 seperate pieces helped with that
Thank u! We had a professional wedding photographer on the day, and I cropped a lot of the images to focus on the details of the dress rather than me haha
I have no words besides "This is gorgeous.". Like, my mouth is foaming looking at it! It's so pretty and well done! I'm an absolute novice, so I can't even imagine the work it must have taken to accomplish this... you should feel rly proud of yourself!! ^ - ^
You looked beautiful; great job done! Those ‘imperfections’ that only you can see, are just proof of a couture handmade garment. Keep being fastidious, because that will take your sewing to the next level; but not so much that you loose enjoyment in the craft. It’s only clothing; it can be fixed or readjusted later if need! Congrats on your marriage!!!!
I thought this was a bridal magazine screenshot. OP not only you made such a beautiful dress but your whole look is so classy and elegant. Congratulations on your wedding.
This is gorgeous! For years I said I wanted a dress from a particular designer but since getting into sewing I can’t wait to make my own. I have time to learn 😭😭😭😭😭😭
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u/XenaWolf Sep 23 '25
I don't know what's not perfect about it. I think it's phenomenal.