Several months before I got married I posted pictures of the $1 flea market dress I was planning to restyle and wear. After I started working on it I actually changed my design several times when I got partway through and realized I didn’t like the direction it was going. Sometimes it’s hard to tell how things are going to look until you get them made, so I figure that’s all part of the process of refining a design. I did the vast majority of the sewing by hand, meaning that a lot of sweat and a little bit of blood (literally–I stuck my finger with a needle) went into this dress. No tears, fortunately. But I was really happy with what I ended up with. It’s a mixture of vintage and new materials, and I can guarantee that no one else has this dress. And now I finally have some professional pictures to share!

After:
(I love this picture. We got married in the courtyard of a former elementary school converted into a venue, had the reception in the gym, and this was the library. )
I covered the bodice in layers of satin and gathered tulle, and lace I salvaged from an ugly vintage wedding dress I had bought years before at a by-the-pound Goodwill Outlet. The gloves were a splurge from Bhldn. I was hesitant to spend that much on gloves, especially since I would rather have had vintage ones (couldn’t find any that fit me), but I’m really glad that I did.
The back has 21 (I think) Swarovski crystal buttons, and the velvet ribbon is from the original dress. It was my “something blue,” and the dress itself was my “something old.”

The only thing I wish I’d done differently was to find the corset I was going to wear with it sooner. I scoured the internet to find one that would work for me, and only found one after I’d done all of the sewing, so it tended to peak out of my dress a bit sometimes. But I’m a perfectionist, and you live, you learn.

Before:


Quite a transformation, eh? And I didn’t even have any help from woodland creatures.