It’s just another dress we told ourselves through this process. A special one? Absolutely! So, no pressure. The process, though, was very similar to how we would normally create and starts with someone (usually Erin) saying “I have had a vision”.
The vision this time? A wedding dress with a simple structure, a beautiful design element to showcase the silhouette, stunning fabric and construction filled with skill and love.
We began exploring fabric options and collecting swatches in April for the special day in Canberra in September. Something that came through quite quickly as we worked through the design was that this fabric was going to have some texture or embellishment in it. We collected a lot of samples of different brocades, jacquards, laces and beaded fabrics to explore our options.
Fabric: Tylers Fabrics
The hero fabric we found at Tylers Fabric in Richmond. It had a slight, unceremonious name, 3138W, but we knew it was the one!
The material was 150cm wide, which was excellent news for our skirt visions. It was made in Turkey with different textures created with 35% polyester, and 65% rayon, and metallic.
We began exploring what materials we need to put underneath the main fabric. We did some research into different techniques for creating a full skirt, as we were conscious about adding good visual volume without adding too much weight to the dress.
We ended up with a mix of layers that included Liquid Satin Organdy to add some shimmer to the sheer sections of the hero fabric. We also used Firm Organdy as a support layer.
For the construction, we started with a toile of a strapless bodice we were very familiar with, Simplicity 8876, and we added some modifications to the shape through the chest and back. We created at toile in a simple cotton to be able to draw our adpations onto the body then transfer then back to the pattern before cutting into the fabric.
Mr Fergus (and his favourite KONG toy, Ellie) was, of course, on hand every day of this project with Textiles supervision and offering his support.
Above you will see Lauren sitting in the spare room of James and Erin’s house in Canberra, thinking (very proudly) she had just put the final stitches in Erin’s wedding dress. Midday the day before the wedding, thinking, what everyone was worried about? We made it with plenty of time.
Flash forward to 9 am the next morning, when the wonderful Steph from Acacia & Grace Photography and Love Poets asked if we could hang the dress for a photo. Firstly, we did not put hangers on the dress as it filled a whole dress bag itself. Then secondly, when picking up the dress, we found pins that hadn’t been sewn, so of course, we were sewing on the morning of the wedding, but no panic here. It was just meant to be.
Finished Project
The hidden touch
There was a little Easter egg in James and Erin’s wedding outfits. Lauren snuck an embroidered teddy bear motif into each of their outfits, something Erin had added to James’ shirts when they had to live apart. The moment James saw it for the first time on the inside of his InStitchu jacket was captured perfectly by Steph at Acacia & Grace Photograph.
Photo Credits
Photography: Acacia & Grace Photography
Celebrant: Say I Do with Suse
Hair & Makeup: Alana Muha
Live Music: Baker Boys Band
Venue Styling: Sunshine Events by Lisa Pateman
Suit Designer: InStitchu
Venue: The Marion
Videography: Love Poets
Cake: Glacé Canberra
Wedding Party Outfits: Two Sewing Sisters
Veil: Lauren J Ritchie Millinery
Fabric: 3138W, Liquid Satin Organdy and Firm Organdy purchased from Tylers Fabrics
Zipper: Heavy Duty Invisible Zipper from Jack Stock
