Oh wow, thank you SO MUCH for all of the sweet comments about our bathroom makeover – that was so exciting! A week later, I still love it, big time. Cleaning it is even almost pleasant, if you can believe it. I said almost. It is most definitely more satisfying and less terrifying than it was before the renovation. So. Yay.
Anyway …
This is a busy week for me, you guys. Next week too. I’ve got lots of bridal appointments all in a row and lots of stuff to work on in between. It kills me that I don’t have much free time to check in here and show you the progress, because everything is SO GOOD. And so fun. And my ladies are the all the sweetest. And yes, I’m totally bragging, but I won’t apologize for it one bit. It’s exciting!
One of my sweet, adorable brides is a friend I’ve known for years and I was completely over the moon when she announced her engagement and asked me to make her gown. And then I totally lost my dang mind when she told me her inspiration: Downton Abbey. And not because I like costumes or whatever, but because nothing could suit this cutie more than that lean, drapey, Edwardian style. It’s SO PERFECT FOR HER. Plus, we’re not making a costume – we’re pulling the silhouette and feel from that era and keeping the focus on elegance and luxury. And it doesn’t hurt that we found an amazing, embroidered French lace to use here and there, but we’ll talk about that later.
Anyway, even though we’re being very particular about keeping things timeless and not costume-y, we still need to make sure the foundation is perfect. And what could be more perfect than a period-appropriate underpinning?
Technically, this is a girdle, but we’re saying “corselette” because it’s prettier. There isn’t a ton of boning – just a few strategically placed along the vertical seams and three at the front waist – and elastic panels in the back used to really hug and smooth the body. The point is not to enhance, but to flatten and straighten. And to be pretty. Duh. The best part is that the lace used over the front panel was taken from her mom’s wedding gown. So sweet, right?
I really, really love it. By the way, I used this 1920′s corset pattern from Reconstructing History as a jumping-off point. I had to make quite a few adjustments, but if you’re interested in making one for yourself, it’s a good place to start. I used silk satin with a stiff woven interfacing and lined it in silk taffeta – this baby gets the job done while remaining lightweight and delicate. Just what a lady wants in her unmentionables, am I right? Lace and ribbons don’t hurt either.
