A Personal Journey Through
the Design of a Wedding Dress

I created the wedding dress in these pictures to illustrate the process I describe in my soon to be released eBook for creating Bikinis and Bandeaux. I wanted to show that patterns for Bikinis and Bandeaux could be used for much more than swim suits. A wedding dress seemed about as far from a Bikini as you can get.

The Design Prototype
The first step was to prototype several design ideas using the quarter scale fashion doll called Tyler from the Tonner Doll Company.

I started the original idea with a Bandeau top and side front, side and side back seams for the body of the gown.	Then I decided I should try something that complemented the Bandeau top.	I have also been fascinated by the Swirly Skirt pattern since the 1970s.

The Design Process
I liked the middle version best. I thought the Swirly Skirt pattern too distracting from the bodice.

The first step in my system is to measure the body.	The Bandeau pattern does require a little adjustment in a fitting.	Once the adjustments are made, the design of the top needs to be verified.
To create the body of the gown, I draped from the Bandeau to the hips using muslin, then measured the length I wanted to the floor.	I learned in my initial Pattern Design class many years ago that you could approximate the hem of a gown by laying a tape measure in the shape desired.	The resulting pattern is four pieces. The Bandeau top with front, side, and back patterns for the body of the gown.

The Finished Wedding Dress

To receive information about when the design system for Bikinis and Bandeaux becomes available, add your name to our First-to-Know email list.