The mother-of-the-bride dress alteration was to shorten the outer skirt of the dress. Sounds like a simple hem job. However, hemming was not the easiest method to get the professional results I strive to give my customers.
Keeping the Uniqueness
Keeping the uniqueness of the dress was not an easy alteration. However, I was confident I had found the answer to give the most professional alteration.
I recognized the importance of keeping the uniqueness and style that made this dress special. A simple shortening at the hem would lose the beauty and feministic soft drape of the skirt. The rolled hem of the outer skirt added to the beautiful feminine swag style. Lower in the back, swooping up to meet at the waistline left side seam was extraordinary. My goal was to not disturb the uniqueness of this line.
The approach to this task was to remove the skirt from the bodice and shorten the skirt from the waist. After much marking and photographing, I went to work with my seam ripper to release the outer skirt. The outer skirt was free from the bodice allowing me to remove 3 5/8″ of outer skirt fabric. Then all I had to do was work backwards to put it all back like I had taken it apart. The dress now looked unaltered. Mother-of-the-bride dress alterations will let her enjoy the wedding with a dress not dragging the ground behind her.
Fun Surprise From Fabric Scraps
I took the fabric scraps cut from the top portion of the outer skirt and made two pretty flower pins as a surprise for the client. They would add a nice touch to the cross-over bodice where the wrapped skirt and bodice meet. Alternatives would be clipped to the shoes, attached to a purse, or an adornment in the hair. I do hope she enjoys using them for the wedding and even with everyday wear.
This weekend I will do the alterations needed to the long gowns. See the post at Bridesmaids Alterations.