Calling all seamstresses--I need help!!

[Hollywood Chickens]

Making a wedding with no money is very hard, so we bought a job lot of empire waist dresses for the bridesmaids on eBay($6.50 a dress!), and I was able to make them fit everyone but me!! mine is a 24! it is 5 sizes too big and I am having trouble taking in the bodice enough.

I am pretty good at sewing by hand (can't use a machine) and I was able to take in one of the dress 5 inches and make it look perfect, but for mine I need to take it in 10 inches and it looks horrible!

Thank you!

 

[Pelican49]

Quote:
Have you taken the bodice apart and completely recut it, instead of trying to take it in that much? That's probably what I would do. I made my daughter's bridesmaid's dresses and her wedding dress. She liked the bodice on this dress and the train on that one and the skirt from that one. <sigh> I wouldn't attempt any major sewing without a machine. Most large fabric stores give sewing lessons. I'd take them and get a machine.

 

[BirdBrain]

That is what I would do. Just take it apart at the seams and recut the dress. Any way you can get machine help from anyone close by. That would probably yeild the most pleasing results.

 

[wolftracks]

The secret to using a machine it to learn to control the way you feed the material. Sit down with some scrapes of material and just try different turns, or tensions with your hands. You have control of the material, you just feed it through and the machine will do what you want it too. A few minutes here and there and you'll have it down. Make a pillow or something. Like you know, a ring Bearers pillow, to practice.

As for the size??, Yeah I think you need to open up all the seams and recut. Sounds like you don't mind altering, so this will be the easiest in the long run.

You could cut out a pattern or use a store bought one. You can also cut freehand by following the piece. Re cutting just seems like your only bet with the size difference.

 

[OverEggstended]

If it were me...

Yep, open it up. As it is probably too big across the top between the straps, cut straight down there (for each strap that is.just use inside of strap as a guide and cut parallel to side seam) and refit the center. Princess seams will be a help as well. Back can be done the same or with seam down center with readjusting zipper (I assume it has one there). Reverse box pleats may be helpful in the skirt waist.

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

This is the dress.
Front:

Back:

It has princess seams in the front.

We do have a sewing machine and I have used it but I am afraid of the needle! so many of my friends have sewn through their fingers! and I once saw my mother jab her finger with the machine, so now I am too afraid to use it.

My cousin could do it, but she doesn't speak a language in common with me, and she is busy doing my sister's wedding dress.

I did 2 triangles on each side and 2 in the back and I ended up with a draped neck, but the bust darts are now in the underarms.

Thank you so much!

 

[Damummis]

If you are near a Joann fabric, they are having a huge sale this weekend. Some patterns may be .99 - $1.99. I would try to find a pattern similar to the dress. Take the dress apart like everyone says and use the pattern to fit the pieces.

 

[mame1616]

Have you tried making a Duct-tape double of yourself? It was an immense help to me when I was making a costume with fairly expensive material. You can find the instructions in several places on the web. It only took a couple of hours. Fo a dress, get a closet pole and have someone make a mount for it, then shove the pole in the bottom of the dress form of yourself, and mount it at the height you will be in your dress shoes. That way you can get the hem right, too. As pelican said, you probably have to take the bodice apart, but if you pin it to the dress form, you can probably reform it pretty accurately. Let us know how it turns out!

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

well I got my sister who apprenticed with a seamstress for a short time to help, and we practically remade the dress! we did princess seams in the front, and made the neck square to make it fit better, and redid the sides cutting off all of the extra fabric, it has taken us a total of 5 hours!

I will posts pictures of all of the bridesmaids after the wedding (January 9 2011) so you can see all of them, and I had to take in 9 dresses, not fun! but I got it done, by hand! because I am still afraid of the machine.

The duct-tape form idea is ingenious! if I cared that mush about a dress(like my wedding dress) I would do that!

Thank you all for your advice I really appreciate it and I did use plenty of it!

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

The wedding has been called off (just found out that the groom is gay and an alcoholic) so I won't have a picture to show you the dress.