03 - Fabric & pattern choice

With corsetry now confirmed, I had a clear mental image of the intended dress: basically exactly as the sketch left but with 8 vertical seams (in total). The main part of the dress would be an overlayer having an asymmetrical hemline maybe with an edging of net or other type of trim attached. Underneath, an inner lining with netting at different levels on the skirt/hemline & a corset-style undergarment worn over the body, maybe lightly attached to the lining section. As there would be a considerable quantity of fabric used for the dress, it would be essential to ensure that the fabrics used would be relatively lightweight ... luckily a general feature of man-made ones.

Fabric choice

From first sample swatches, K chose crepe, jersey, fine wool & chiffon but although their textures & lack of sheen were liked, she wanted a ‘heavier handle’ & somewhat similar to vintage ‘ottoman’ fabric I had shown her. With a better idea of what K wanted the dress to look like, I visited a local fabric/haberdashery shop to obtain a selection of suitable samples. (The diversity of fabric weaves detailed below would naturally affect the making up but overall, any of the fabrics would provide the style of dress K wanted.)

a) Suitable for the main dress were:

polyester/spandex suiting
twisted knot design cotton/polyester jersey
puckered polyester/cotton jersey
polyester crepe-de-chine
polyester crinkle taffeta
polyester lightweight furnishing fabric
polyester seersucker
polyester chiffon
cotton muslin

b) Undergarment fabrics:

polyester/spandex satin
polyester anti-static lining
cotton muslin

c) Net fabrics were:

nylon net – average size stiff mesh
bridal tulle – soft small mesh

My personal recommendation was for the polyester/spandex suiting as with its degree of stretch, it would be a perfect solution for any last minute measurement changes that may occur & would overlay the intended undergarment(s) without any problem. The heavyweight polyester/spandex stretch satin would be an ideal lining as it would take the weight of the net layers plus also stretch widthways if needed. Both fabrics were fairly crease-resistant, so would remain wrinkle-free throughout the wedding as well as transporting well for the various intended fittings. (With the wedding to be at the end of October, weather was likely to be cold & these fabrics could help K stay relatively warm throughout her day.) To gain volume for the net skirts, a stiffer nylon net would be used for 'shaping' part of the net underlayers & a softer tulle used as overlayers. All fabric swatches were shown to K who agreed to the recommendations.

Pattern choice

Choosing between making a personalized individual pattern & using/adapting a purchased commercial one is a decision I’m often faced with. In many instances I’ve found it either quicker & easier (so more cost-effective) to opt for the latter option especially with many different patterns I've accumulated over the years, I usually find one suitable.

However, on this occasion I had nothing so 'surfed on-line’. The current range of commercial patterns (above) also resulted with nothing either in the bridal or special occasion sections.

Changing tactics & looking under 'daywear', I soon found one (above) - with 8 seams which was ideal especially with its neckline shaping & hemline flare. Additionally it was multi-sized & suitable for 'Miss Petite' so could help with crucial time-frames & scheduling being planned for this dress with many aspects of it being left until fitting stages to finalise.

Final fabric & haberdashery

Along with the above pattern, the following fabrics were purchased from Fabricland (Bristol):

4m. black polyester/spandex stretch suiting : main fabric
4m. black polyester/spandex stretch satin : lining fabric
4m. charcoal polyester/cotton dress weight : corset/interlining fabric
2m. black cotton lawn : corset fabric
8m. black nylon net : netting support
8m. black tulle : netting overlayer
5m. white nylon net : netting support
4m. cream tulle : netting overlayer
grey nylon net : netting

Additional items for making the corsetry were located from my own stock:

woven black canvas
corsetry hooks & eyes (by the metre)
covered black plastic boning

With all haberdashery now together, the dress could begin by making an “initial toile”.

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