my wedding gown Pattern(s): I used Butterick 6926 as a jumping-off point for the bodice, but otherwise the dress was designed and drafted by me. Fabric: silk duchess satin, silk georgette, and silk tulle (veil) from Fishman Fabrics, silk ribbons from Helen Gibb's studio, cotton (lining) Construction Notes: The gown has full-length princess seams and features ruching at the front bodice. The skirt is gathered up over an underskirt of georgette which is attached to the cotton lining. The armholes have georgette swags as "sleeves." The dress buttons up the back over a zipper for extra strength. Ribbon flowers are tacked on at the neckline in both front and back. Miscellaneous Ramblings: I began designing this dress in early 2008. I based my design off of an Edwardian silhouette. The various other details are all just things that I liked and are not particularly historical. I began making mock-ups of the dress as early as May 2008. I ordered my fabric by phone and received it in mid-July. Around that time, I also made a visit to Helen Gibb's studio in Louisville, CO and purchased the ribbons for the neckline flowers. I did a lot of the actual sewing while "watching" the 2008 Summer Olympics. I wish I could say that I'm an incredibly motivated and organized person, but alas! I was working on finishing details of the dress pretty much right up to my wedding day. :-) Well, to be fair, a great deal of September was spent on the road as both my brother and cousin were married shortly before me. My mom and I spent the time on the road making the ribbon flowers (a craft we learned entirely for this project!). Helen Gibb's books Ribbonwork: The Complete Guide and Elegant Ribbonwork were immensely helpful to us as we worked. I also made my own veil, which was actually quite simple (just an egg-shaped oval attached to a headband). I decided not to finish the edges to have a more ethereal and old-fashioned look. back