Bridal show – Crochet and cotton

by Kathleen Brewster. Posted on June 30, 2015

30 Jun

This lovely dress is made of 2 layers of fine cotton muslin. I haven’t really used cotton before for bridal but here it worked perfectly. It was so fine it draped and fell perfectly for a bias cut.

To make the backless dress I created the whole dress in cotton and then made the crochet lace mandala and stitched it over the dress, once the crochet was in place I cut away the cotton from the back.

The side is closed with little loops and shell buttons.

I have this dress waiting in my wardrobe to be worn again by a relaxed beach bride. Get in touch if you would like some more details, photos or to try it on.

What a good idea.

by Kathleen Brewster. Posted on June 19, 2015

19 Jun

I found this image from a vintage pattern (I am assuming 30’s-40’s ish) and I thought it was a lovely idea.

A veil is joined into the waist and can sit over the head as a veil or down the skirt as a bustle.

The Image shows the veil ending at about her wrists but I would guess it would be possible to make it longer, this might just mean that the back of the skirt might need to be lengthened so the veil won’t drag on the floor.

Bridal show – 30’s Bias dress and veil

by Kathleen Brewster. Posted on June 13, 2015

13 Jun

This dress was a challenge, The model who was planning to wear it had to pull out close to the date, I was so lucky that the beautiful model below was willing to help out a stranger and fit the dress to perfection.

The dress is made in a heavyweight polyester satin. It has a bias cut halter bodice which I closed with pearl buttons. The skirt is not exactly a bias cut but falls like one, I draped the skirt from one whole piece so the grain isn’t straight down the front but it isn’t exactly 45 degrees either. When the skirt was closed the last of the fabric was allowed to drape at the back as an asymmetric train.

Here are the details of the veil, some close up pictures and construction comments.

Bridal show – Meg’s dress gets another outing.

by Kathleen Brewster. Posted on June 11, 2015

11 Jun

I made this dress for my sister and it was perfect for her beach house wedding. It was great to see it out of its bag one more time.

The dress is made in a heavy weight silk satin. It is a simple shape with a deep neckline and super cute pockets hidden in deep pleats through the side.

We styles the dress with a simple veil and no flowers so she could show off the pockets.

The finishing touch

by Kathleen Brewster. Posted on June 10, 2015

10 Jun

A beautiful ribbon is the perfect accent for a beautiful bouquet. I have been collecting creative ideas for ribbons from the simple to the unusual.

A ribbon can add a pop of colour where your flowers cant. Weddings over winter can have fewer flower choices so why not stick to a simple palette and bring your colour in with some ribbon.

Lace is a good option, A soft white cotton or a more glamourous black.

If you are crafty consider customising, cotton lace can be dyed or ribbons embellished with embroidery.

I am loving this idea, a piece of fabric wrapped around the bouquet. The perfect excuse to buy a LV scarf? or see if there is one that belonged to your Nana. The best fabric shops have gorgeous silk prints and using a print can bring some complexity over a solid colour ribbon.

Some sparkle?

Raffia

Ric rac is a cute option. It works well mixed with other ribbons.

Here are some more unusual. Pom pom braid, feathers and even fringe.

30’s veil details

by Kathleen Brewster. Posted on June 8, 2015

08 Jun

I really wanted to show off the details of this veil. It was a bit of an experiment using the crochet detail but it all ended up looking so wonderful with the dress (and my lovely model) I am really proud of it.

Here is the crochet detail on the wire base. The tulle was sewn along the base to keep it against the head in the Juliet cap style worn in the 30’s.

The tulle I used is a soft bridal tulle. It falls more like silk tulle than nylon tulle. It was perfect for this look.

Balloons

by Kathleen Brewster. Posted on June 8, 2015

08 Jun

I had a wonderful post ready to post about how much I love helium balloons. before I could finish it I have been told that helium is a finite resource and the party industry is taking helium away from Scientists and MRI machines. I am a fan of Doctors and Scientists as much as balloons so I am content to let them have the helium.

With this in mind I have re crafted this post. Here are some wonderful ways to use Balloons without using helium.

Mixed sizes of balloons made into a garland with fresh flowers.

These could be helium but tying small bunches of balloons along a cord would give the same effect. The rope of balloons could then be hung anywhere

Confetti or glitter filled balloons will still look amazing without the helium. It is the static electricity that keeps the little pieces stuck around the walls of the balloon.