My dear friend let me choose any type of dress for her wedding.  To complement her halter-style, backless, very sleek and slim gown, I chose a halter-style, backless but very full skirted (about 7 yards) silk chiffon to make up in Vintage Vogue, 2962.  I wish that I had a photo of how the skirt really looks when walking/dancing. The wedding was outdoors and our walk to the alter was long!  The wind was blowing a bit and the billowing red silk made me feel like I was floating,and making such a nice prelude to the gorgeous bride. Aside from cutting out large pieces of chiffon, which takes some patience, my primary challenge with the dress was fitting the bodice.  I have very “little” up top and the pattern was for a “lot.”  I re-draped the bodice pattern, and inserted gathering and underlining that I feel helped create some shape for me. I used couture techniques for this gown throughout, doing much of the work by hand, including making 12 individual button loops down the back of the bodice, hand-rolling the chiffon hem, and using french seams on the chiffon and lining. I used silk charmeuse for the lining, and a soft bastiste for the bodice underlining, but did not work the underlining or lining into the gathers of the chiffon portion of the bodice– I wanted to chiffon to appear to stand on its own. I also created a simple silk chiffon rose to accessorize the midriff area.  While I don’t show it in the photos, the fabric also came in an identical patterned charmeuse, and I made a stole detailed with beautiful red glass beeds on the ends. I have worn the dress in two weddings and it is  so comfortable and fun to wear.  I will likely cut it off and wear it again and again.

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