PatternReview.com online sewing community
Join our community of 579,264 sewists!
SIGNUP Membership is free and includes 1 free lesson
Login |
Join our community of 579,264 sewists!
Signup | Login
To participate in the PatternReview.com forums please Login or Join PatternReview
Member since 8/20/07
Posts: 15
Send Message
Posted on: 6/23/09 7:32 PM ET
Hi all,

I am a weaver (among other things), and am currently designing and weaving the fabric for my wedding dress. (If you are interested in the gory details, they are on my blog at http://travelingtiger.com/blog/tag/wedding-dress/. It's actually quite an interesting saga, might be worth reading if you have the time.)

I am currently making what I term "style muslins" for lack of a better term. I have several patterns that I want to try out, so am making muslin mockups of each to see whether they are suitable. Because, like every bride, I'm trying to lose some weight before the wedding (which will be next June), I'm not doing fitting muslins now - I'll do that in early spring next year.

My question is, what's the best way to make up the muslin? Should I use muslin, or should I use something that will drape the way the actual fabric will? The fabric I'm weaving is about the weight and drape of a heavy silk crepe (36 momme or 4.67 oz/yard), but for obvious reasons I don't want to invest all that money on a throwaway.

My concern is that the pattern I am thinking of, which I have a photo of here (it's the first one in the series), is meant to be done in a shantung or a brocade, both of which are considerably stiffer than the fabric I'm weaving. Muslin is also stiffer than the fabric I'm weaving.

Will I get a good idea of how the dress will look from a muslin mockup? or should I be using some other fabric that has the "hand" of the fabric I'll be using? I do plan on sewing a full mockup of the (properly fitted) dress in a heavy silk crepe or some such before touching my handwoven fabric (both for the practice and to be absolutely CERTAIN the pattern will work), but for now I just want to get an idea of how the style will work.

(If all this mocking-up sounds excessive, well, it will take me about six months, best guess, to weave up all the fabric for the dress + coat that goes over the dress...I am weaving very fine fabric with very fine threads (half the weight of sewing thread - 35,000 yards or 19 miles per pound!), so it will take me about 3 months to weave up the yardage for the dress. And then there is another 15 yards of 24" wide fabric (the widest my loom can weave) for the coat that goes over the dress...and five yards of woven ribbon to go down the front of the coat...so I would rather spend some extra money and time on making sure I have everything perfect, than ruin such laboriously created fabric!)

I will say this, weaving fabric for my own wedding dress has made me appreciate what incredible labor a single wedding-dress could take in Years Gone By! But it is immensely satisfying to be able to design and weave my own motifs and meanings. I am weaving a pattern of Chinese double-happiness characters into the ribbon running down the front of the coat, and eternity knots into the body of the coat. The dress itself is 100% silk in a Celtic braid pattern that I designed. It will take forever but it will be gorgeous...something I will treasure all my life (and hopefully the marriage will last that long!)!

Anyway - rhapsodies over the joys of weaving your own fabric aside - can anyone advise me on the best way to do my "style" mockups?
  
Member since 1/27/09
Posts: 428
Send Message
Re: Weaving a wedding dress/how to make a muslin mockup behave like the real fabric? (posted on 6/23/09 9:00 PM ET)
I usually just use old bedsheets for my mockups, unless I'm making the final garment out of denim or something. If you're really concerned about the drape, stock up on coupons and wait for a good sale and go buy super cheapy polyester satin back crepe or something. If you hit the sales right, you can get that stuff super cheap. It's polyester and a bit icky, but that's why you're only using it for a mockup! Good luck! My miles of bedsheet muslin are all over my sewing room right now!
------
http://www.sewfitting.com
  
Member since 8/26/07
Posts: 811
Body Type:
Send Message
Re: Weaving a wedding dress/how to make a muslin mockup behave like the real fabric? (posted on 6/24/09 0:52 AM ET)
A crepe type fabric would probably be too drapey for the patterns you're considering. Why not just alter the hand of your woven fabric to give it more firmness? You can underline it with silk organza or another crisp fabric (or even interfacing) for more structure. Then go ahead with an inexpensive stiff fabric for the muslins.
  
Member since 6/17/04
Posts: 503
Body Type:
Send Message
Posted on: 6/24/09 2:06 AM ET
In reply to tienchiu
I think you basically have two choices. Either, as suggested, you make your fabric stiffer (or underline it) and use the patterns you picked. Or you try to find some other patterns that are more suitable to the fine, drapey fabric you are making. But in that case I would not use muslin for the trial dresses, but take a piece of your own fabric and go and find something similar cheap in the store, so that you would have a better picture of what you are working with. BTW, I think it is wonderful that you are weaving your own fabric and can't wait to see the progress on this dress =).
------
Natalija from Serbia (mom to 6 daughters and 1 son)
  
* Advertising and soliciting is strictly prohibited on PatternReview.com. If you find a post which is not in agreement with our Terms and Conditions, please click on the Report Post button to report it.
Selected Reviews, Classes & Patterns
Metro Textiles
NYC Fabric Store
Specials!
Discovery Fabrics
High Performance Fabrics
Specials!
Fancy Frocks Fabrics
Fine Designer Fabrics