I’ve done a lot of seam ripping over the past couple of days. First I detached the bodice from the skirt (both sizes). Then I deconstructured the back of the gown so that I could restyle it to remove the surplice. Here are some pics (the bodice also shows how I deconstructed it to remove the surplice):
Detached Bodice
Detached Skirt
I tried on the bodice and, with skillful mirror placement, was able to determine the most flattering back. I chose the button back where the seam would meet at the top middle of the waist yoke. There was another option to make a low back where the shoulders plummetted straight down and the top of the waist yoke was exposed. This was flattering, but I felt it did not jive with the style of the front of the gown, so I decided against it.
I pinned and creased the back in the same way I did the front. I tested the symmetry by placing pins in an “X” pattern on the inside of the gown, holding the back seam together as shown below:
"X" Pattern Pinned BackThe result:Seam Meeting at Back
The result:
Seams Meeting at Back
I need to rethink the buttons and even the overall type of closure I want at the back of the bodice. I’m not sure that the buttons I currently have are right for this gown. I’ll keep digging for the perfect closure. The other contender which I have yet to explore is the high back. I could do this with buttons as well. I’d have to trace out a pattern and cut it out using the skirt that I’m not using. I also need to determine the desired shape of the sleeves and create a pattern for them.
Tags: alterations, bridal gown, gown, J. Crew, jcrew, silk, sophia, tricotine, wedding, wedding dress, wedding gown
