Lace and a 40th Wedding Anniversary

Tanisha contacted me for suggestions on fabrics for a very special occasion-her parents 40th wedding anniversary!  She wanted a formal dress made for her Mother to wear for the celebration. Local sewing engineer, Barbara Cruse, made this beautiful dress using Black Lace with White Backing from Sew Much Fabric for the gala and I must say it is stunning!  Thank you Barbara for sharing your experience on making this beautiful jacket and skirt.  

Photo Credit: Carlton Hamlin Photography

Mrs. Cosby selected Vogue 7963, clean lines with a portrait collar, very elegant.    

The only way to get a perfect match of the lace motifs was to use a single layer layout.  

I started with the bodice center front line of the overlap and underlap and worked to the back.  To make the skirt even simpler I cut it on the fold rather than 2 pieces. She has a flat bottom so it worked out well.  (When the client has a shapely bottom I make it in 2 pieces for the best fit.)

The fitting challenge was that she has a slightly curved back. The center back had to be lengthened a bit and eased into the side seams.   Her left and right side are different sizes, so one sleeve and bodice front were almost a size smaller and the adjacent back larger. This also made the front dip more and that was adjusted at the hem. Now you can’t tell a difference. The alterations for the skirt were at the waistline for a high hip and a low center front waist. The adjustment for this was to lower the hip 1” and center front 2”.

I used stay tape (not listed on the pattern envelope) for the outside edge of the collar and neckline.  She has a slightly curved back so I added an extra snap to eliminate the gap between the snaps called for in the sewing instructions. I also added a hook and eye on the collar center front to keep it closed.

This fabric was wonderful to sew on, I used an #80 Universal needle and didn’t have any problems.

The happy couple Mr and Mrs Hal Cosby
Photo Credit: Carlton Hamlin Photography