All five bridesmaid dresses cut out!

All five bridesmaid dresses cut out!

• 5.23.2011

I reached a major milestone in wedding planning/preparation... I cut out all five of my bridesmaids' dresses this weekend!

I am using combinations of six different patterns, and making up the skirt without a pattern.  You can see my thought processes here and the dresses my friends picked from... (except now I am doing full pleated skirts rather than the tapered one I first thought about.)

I bought 11 yards of the grey stretch twill online.  It is really nice, a little sheen to it, and thick enough for a dress.  My dress is made out of it, too, as the base.

11 yards was heavy and hard to manage, so I cut out the skirts first.  I had measured each of the girls from waist to kneecap, so I had that measurement for everyone.  I ended up only adding an inch, figuring if I did 1/2" at the top for the seam and 2" for the bottom hem (serged, not turned under twice), the skirts would fall 1.5" above the kneecap--a cute length.  The skirts will be pleated with little pleats, rather full at the bottom, so I just tore two panels for each dress.  Thank goodness this fabric tore well!!!  Although left lots of stray threads.

Then I had five skirts.

Next I cut out all the bodices.  This was quite the process, so I will have to do one post per bridesmaid dress as I finish them so you can see the finished products as well!  Trust me, that'll make it less confusing ;).  They are all together waiting to be sewn...

I have LOTS of sewing to do before August 6th!