What can I do with my wedding dress?

[ishyfishie]

After a year of letting it sit in a closet, I'd like to figure out something interesting to do with my wedding gown. We were going to do the usual "preservation" thing, but never got around to it. I'm not an expert seamstress or anything but I'm pretty good with my sewing machine and with "winging it" (lol), but I don't know what we could make. The bodice is embroidered, so that's primarily what I'd like to preserve, but there's also embroidery on the skirt. I was thinking a dress-up cloak for dd (in a few years, lol) would be cool from the skirt but I'm not sure how to go about it and I have no idea what to do with the bodice! I'm afraid to cut anything without a clear plan.

Help me ladies--what would you make from this?

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ake/015_12.jpg

[Starr]

I have heard of people having a baptism gown made out of it, or wedding hankerchiefs for all their children. Maybe a babys blanket?

[texmati]

Your dress is really pretty! I know this sounds pretty boring...but what about making a dress with it. the bodice is really cute, and you could wear it with jeans. You could also make a short skirt out of the bottom.

[lakesuperiormom]

Originally Posted by Starr

I have heard of people having a baptism gown made out of it, or wedding hankerchiefs for all their children. Maybe a babys blanket?

very pretty dress! mt mil had her gown made into a baptismal gown for dd. it turned out really pretty. i am hoping to make one for my grandchild some day far away....the cloak sounds really great and the top idea with jeans could be cute also.

[PreggieUBA2C]

I've thought about the same thing for mine, but mine is very plain fabric; the interest is all in the design of the dress. For yours though, maybe you could make a quilt with the bodice part in the centre, cut into a design you and your dh enjoy, add other fabrics you like or that are related to your wedding as well, and then you could look at it every day! It is very pretty; I wouldn't mind seeing it everyday. Please forgive my ignornace of proper terms; I don't quilt, but I would consider quilting my dress if it wouldn't just end up looking like any other quilt with the same fabric as my dress in it.

[kmeyrick]

Depending on the fabric, you can make a very beautiful quilt out of it. You can embroider the types of flowers used on it, do a double wedding ring pattern. Maybe you could hire a quilt maker to do all this if you've never made a quilt before. Pricey, but it would be an heirloom!

[ishyfishie]

Thanks for the suggestions, ladies! A quilt would be gorgeous but I don't know how to quilt, so I'll have to look into having one made. I'll pull it out of the closet so I can stare at it for inspiration!

[g&a]

I just saw a book cover where they cut the skirt part off of the dress so you could wear the bodice on it's own. It looked really cute. You could then certainly make the rest of it into a cape or some sort of dress-up clothes for the kids. And i LOVE the quilt idea.
g.

[Mama Khi]

Your dress is beautiful! Be glad that you didn't do the preservation thing. The seamstress that made my wedding dress told me not to do that because it actually ruins the dress. She says that she has seen many dresses that had been "preserved," but when the bride opened up the box years later, the dresses were yellowed and had holes in them! She said the best thing for preservation was to put the dress in an archival quality box and to take it out at least once a year to let it "breathe."

As for your actual question, the seamstress told me that many times she had used the dress material to make a baptismal gown for the couple's baby. I also think that the quilt idea is a really great idea. I would have never thought of that. Or, I guess if you wanted to preserve the embroidery, you could have it cut out and professionally framed. Also, using the bodice as a top seems like a really good idea. I think that you have lots of options!

[Shenjall]

I'd like to do something with my dress as well. I was thinking of using some the material to cover a keepsake/jewelery box. Or using the beaded bodice to make a throw pillow. I'd like to save part of it to make a little wedding purse for my kids if/when they get married. But for now it sits in my closet. I'm a wee bit of a procastinator.

Whatever you do, make sure you post some pics!

[ishyfishie]

I thought about a pillow but I'm afraid it'd end up getting ruined by my beastly cats--but a keepsake box would be beautiful! We had a box of cards and memory stuff from when I was a baby and I've started one for dd but the stuff is just in an old hat box at the moment. Maybe I could organize both boxes into one somehow and use part of the embroidery design on the dress on the top of the box!

[Shenjall]

Do you have a Michaels crafts near you? I'm pretty sure they sell unfinished wooden boxes in all sizes. Now I'm all excited to do mine.

[llamalluv]

Originally Posted by Mama Khi

Your dress is beautiful! Be glad that you didn't do the preservation thing. The seamstress that made my wedding dress told me not to do that because it actually ruins the dress. She says that she has seen many dresses that had been "preserved," but when the bride opened up the box years later, the dresses were yellowed and had holes in them! She said the best thing for preservation was to put the dress in an archival quality box and to take it out at least once a year to let it "breathe."

How do they get holes in them sitting in a box?