I think this is the most fabric I've ever used in a single go. I didn't believe it when I saw someone go through 2 bolts of muslin working on their wedding gown, but I can see how now.I am really excited about how great this is looking and how well it is coming together. The draping was my biggest concern, because the entire dress is a Frankenpattern of sorts... Iteration 3 of the dress I found tucked away in the costume shop. The original was ripped apart to have a second life as a pattern. It became Sunset, the red dress I ripped apart to use as a pattern when I realized its muslin was long gone. You see it above in the middle layer of the pattern sandwich, with muslin round one on top and length and a train added with mostly ignored guidance from Vogue 2788 on the bottom, augmented by newspaper. It is crazy to think that the red piece is knee- length. It's been a journey, friends. But the finish line is in sight.
I spent 2 movies drafting the back, and another one drafting the front. At that point, I started to cut, and we're looking at another movie and a half there. Then there was the scary moment where I thought I didn't have enough fabric... because I ordered everything a month or so ago. And so there was biting of nails until I laid everything out, and it was all gravy, but with 8 yards of 54" fabric, JUST barely. The laying out muslin pieces on pretty silk was all podcasts, but I think I listened to 3? So another hour?
I pinned all of my pieces in over the course of another 2 podcasts, but these were game shows and This American Life, so I think that's another almost 2 hours. They went together very quickly because of all the prep though, so just another hour and change. Lake Woebegone and Ask Me Another.
This dress is a yardage monster, but I think it is worth every little bit. It is also the most time I have spent on a single garment... If we add it up, to this point, that's 5.5 movies. Let's just say they're each a little over 2 hours long. 2.25x5.5? 12.375... 12 hours and 20 minutes, ish. Plus another 4.5 hours of podcasts. And the pictures you're looking at are from a fitting session that was about an hour. So... Let's round up and say 17 hours to that point. Seventeen.But it's worth it.
It is, after all, my wedding dress.
