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Wedding Dress Front

Wedding Dress Back

Close up of skirt front

Close up of back trane

Close up of wedding gown front top

Wedding Dress Front

I recently had the honor of making a wedding dress for my first granddaughter, Brittany Blount Chemin.  I used Duchess Satin and silk organdy to construct the main part of the dress.  To embellish the gown, I used the Kanta Lace Collection embroidery designs by Sadia's Embroidery Designs.  I stitched out the designs of FSL on WSS and used Madeira Rayon embroidery thread in a 60 weight to make the lace more delicate.  I further embellished the lace using various sizes of crystals and pearls purchased from Designs by Dawn, which were heat applied.  Although it involved many hours to create and embellish the gown, this was a very rewarding project, and hopefully I will be able to do the same for my other granddaughter's in the future.  The entire project was a work in progress from beginning to end, and I would like to draw special attention to the closeup of the back trane.  In this area I added her initial "B" and accented it with tiny crystals giving it a personal touch which can be a cherished heirloom to pass down to further generations.  This center motif can easily be replaced in the future for another bride, changing the initial used in the embellishments.  I have made several wedding gowns in the past, making each one unique, allowing each bride to have a special gown like no other.  Today, I keep Brittany's gown displayed in my sewing room along with a french sewn heirloom christening dress I made for her when she was born 21 years before her wedding day.  It was such a joy to have the experience and joy of sewing wedding gowns for my daughters many years ago and now to be able to share that same experience with my granddaughters.  I feel very blessed to have maintained and increased my abilities and creativity through the years to be able to continue doing the hobby I enjoy so much.  I love the inspiration, knowledge, and techniques I have learn from Thread Magazine, and I feel there is always more to learn and we are never too old to add more knowledge to help us become more creative in all that we do.

margholland, member
Posted on Jan 4th, 2010 in sewing, garment construction, embellishments, embroidery, reader's closet, embroidery, lace, embellishment, embroidery machines, heat applied, gown, Pearls, wedding dress, crystals

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Comments (27)

lynlaing writes: Stunning dress,beautifull work.
Posted: 8:18 am on June 4th

tracytammaro writes: This dress is absolutely beautiful. My oldest daughter is getting married next may in Ireland ( we live in Minnesota) and I only wish I had the talent to make her a wedding dress to fit a 12th century castle, like the one she is getting married in. I love to sew but have not done it a lot because of schedules and such. Now that the kids are grown and gone I want to do it some more. I only wish we had a class around where one could learn the art of sewing, but unfortunately, we don't. I learned in junior high school and actually that has helped me a lot. I am pretty good at reading patterns but not a very good fabric cutter....Thank God for seam allowances...lol. Thank you for sharing your gorgeous project.
Posted: 12:38 pm on February 10th

darcyrose writes: truly inspiring!it is lovely to see your dress and read the story behind it.i have just finished two formal dresses one for my daughter and another for a friend and it is a wonderful gift to be able to create something so beautiful and looking at your pictures helps others to see how much they can accomplish.
Posted: 3:58 pm on February 5th

pavluks writes: How lucky is your Granddaughter to have such a special dress? Simply beautiful. I think we would love to see the product on the real model!
Posted: 8:13 am on January 17th

6638 writes: Verna says the wedding dress is beautiful, I do not know a lot about sewing but I know when I see something beautifully made.
Posted: 9:09 pm on January 14th

joyhughesl writes: This is a work of love and talent.
Posted: 8:31 pm on January 14th

Tracylyn writes: Absolutely love this. Would have loved to have a one of a kind dress for my daughter when she married. Your granddaughter is a very lucky young woman. Can't wait to see more of your work.
Posted: 8:28 pm on January 14th

Luv2Teach writes: This dress is absolutely beautiful!!! And Brittany looked amazing in it!!! I know she will cherish it forever!!! The best wedding gift a grandmother could ever give!!
Posted: 8:20 pm on January 14th

pamelaphoto writes: This dress is amazing!!! I want to have another wedding just so she can make my dress.
Posted: 6:54 pm on January 14th

Tammy18 writes: This dress is absolutely gorgeous!!! You are truly an amazing woman!!!
Posted: 6:52 pm on January 14th

annabholland writes: What a remarkable dress...you are truly gifted. Your granddaughter is very lucky. We can't wait to see what you create next.
Posted: 6:42 pm on January 14th

annabholland writes: What a beautiful dress!!! It's even better in person than it looks in the pictures.
Posted: 6:40 pm on January 14th

TinaCifreo writes: This dress has such detail. I love the B on the train. It is uniquely beautiful, as is the designer.
Posted: 3:22 pm on January 14th

victorian1 writes: This is a masterpiece! I know this grandaughter wore this with pride,as well as the pride the grandmother had when she saw her granddaughter wearing this masterpiece. I had the pleasure of seeing this dress and stood with awe, it's really hard to find the words to describe it, other than absoultely beautiful.What an heriloom! congratulations .
Posted: 11:43 am on January 12th

Sewing2enjoying writes: This is not only a lovely gown created and sewn by a very talented lady, but the story is also one that we all would love to have. Thanks so much for the entire presentation. I feel fortunate to have been able to share in this wonderful story.
Posted: 8:47 pm on January 11th

brittanychemin writes: I am so honored to have this on here. My grandmother is the most talented and loving person I know. She did an AMAZING job with my dress, and I could not imagine getting a dress from anywhere else. Like ever other little girl, I dreamed of my perfect wedding, and it has always had my Maw Maw making my wedding dress, and that dream came true. It was so much fun to watch her create this dress! She put everything she had into the dress, and I felt like a princess on my wedding day!!! Now I will have something to show my children! But this dress is just one of the many amazing things she has made over the years.
Posted: 10:26 am on January 7th

mtully writes: Margie, you did an amazing job. You make me sew proud. I know the dress will be a cherished family heirloom for generations.
Posted: 5:54 pm on January 5th

Clarasita writes: Beautiful in design, in execution, in embellishment and in personalization. An absolutely priceless wedding gift from an extremely talented and obviously loving grandmother.
Posted: 5:51 pm on January 5th

KarenDuBois writes: Beautiful dress! I know Brittany was a beautiful bride! I can't believe you made it.
Posted: 10:52 am on January 5th

ngp writes: This is absolutely beautiful. I remember watching Margie labor over this gift of love for her granddaughter. And how special. Her granddaughter has a one of a kind wedding dress to cherish.
Posted: 9:59 am on January 5th

NicoleGreen writes: This dress is AMAZING!!!! You are so talented. I aspire to be as creative and skilled with my work.
Posted: 8:55 am on January 5th

dpog writes: Just stunning, your work is beautiful. It truly looks like a labor of love. Thank you for sharing.
Posted: 8:47 am on January 5th

mawmawjacky writes: What a thing of beauty. I believe that such a creation can only be accomplished in two ways. Number one would be love of the craft and number two would be love for the receiver. This seems to exemplify both. Congratulations on a wonderful creation.
Posted: 8:05 am on January 5th

livestosew writes: BEAUTIFUL! What a loving grandmother.
Posted: 12:22 am on January 5th

Nefertiri writes: this is lovely, made more so becasue it was sewn with love. the embellishment is really fine work. You should be very proud - and your grand-daughter is a lucky girl!
Posted: 11:18 pm on January 4th

Catherinegreen writes: Beautiful dress! I was very blessed to be one of few to recieve a Margie Holland original wedding dress, and her work is always stunning. She has such a passion for sewing and an eye for uniquie design. I wish I could be this talented for my future grandchildren!
Posted: 11:05 pm on January 4th

carolynfelder writes: This is a beautiful gown!!!
Posted: 10:46 pm on January 4th

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