In my family there is a tradition of sewing your own dress...actually, more accurately, the tradition is coming up with the idea of what you want, and my sister Kris doing much of the sewing! As one of seven sisters, it has been such a privilege to take part in this tradition that has carried over through generations - my mother sewed her dress out of eyelet white fabric and one of my first childhood memories is of my oldest sister Kris cutting and trimming her dress. This was in 1972 (I think) when empire waistlines and gold ribbon trim were popular. Have a look at young Kris and her husband Shawn...nice mustache, nice tux!!
The other day I was rummaging through a sewing box and came across the ‘dummy’ of my wedding skirt and train, a reminder of the many hours spent at my father’s dining room table thinking through measurements, pleats and folds to get that thing right! Despite the fact that I was sewing buttons onto my dress the night before our wedding (all of those tiny silk buttons that run up the back, just like mom’s did!), it was worth all of the hours stitching and hemming.
The devotion my sister Kris has to made a wedding dress this summer for our niece Alexia. Although Alexia is half Italian and was married in Tuscany this past October The family tradition continues and you can see some fabulous results below:
