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Custom Wedding Dress & Kimono Upcycled Clothes | オーダーメイドウェディングドレス&着物ドレス

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Making Wedding Dress Pt.5 – Sewing the Bust Part

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Today, I want to write about how it was to sew the bust part of the wedding dress, but before I do so, I wanted to share Sarah from Pattern Runway‘s insightful comment on iron-on interface in case you missed if from my last post.

“…When I was working in fashion Industry we always used a stretch high-quality fusing such as whisper weft or sheer weft fusing on all fabric types, you can purchased this type of fusing in different weights from sheer to quite a heavy weight, this fusing fuses beautifully for just about every type of fabric I have used from silks to georgettes and heavy weight wools to. Because of the stretch nature of the fusing it strengthens the fabric giving it more body and weight but without the crinkly, stiff feeling that the other types create. It still retains the quality and characteristics of the fabric you are using…

I used to hate fusing before i knew about this type! Most sewing /fabric stores will sell this as a stretch fusing but its not to be only used for stretch fabrics!!! I know that alot of bridal places use this type of fusing to “Block” Fuse the whole amount of fabric (including the skirt) before cutting out the individual pieces as it prevents the fabric from creasing during wear and makes it really nice to sew and press aswell!

Just as a note I only use the whisper and sheer weft fusing on all my sewing projects and have great success with it!”

I have used stretch fusing, but only on stretch knit. I did not know it was so versatile and can be used for non-stretch fabrics! I can’t wait to try this trick for my next project, and wanted to share her sewing tips with you all.

Going back to sewing bust parts..

I sewed bust parts together, carefully on the seam lines. I want this part to fit her body perfectly! Then cut notches on curves, and opened the seam allowances with iron.

For the sweet heart neckline, I used a trick I learned from Gertie‘s Perfect Bombshell Dress course I took over at Cratsy.com. In the course, she uses twill tape to sew in the bust curve part, but also recommends using selvage of the fashion fabric. Since I did not have  twill tape on hand, I cut the selvage of the fabric, 1/2″ shorter than the bust curve length. I did the same for both right and left side of the bust curves.

After that, I cut in the “V” shape part of the bust line.

Then I ironed the bust line, folding the seam allowances inwards. Also, I added a strip of selvage fabric at the “V” line to strengthen that part. This trick I learned from the Perfect Bombshell Dress course as well. The course was totally worth it!

Read my progress on sewing wedding dress! :

Part 1 – Fabric shopping
Part 2 – Muslin
Part 3 – Another Muslin
Part 4 – Cutting Fashion Fabric

What I’m Woking on & Thoughts on Shipping

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I worked on this new design this week, but haven’t had enough time to complete it for the Friday shop updates. Here is the sneak peak! Remember I talked about how I wanted to make a piece with a key hole detail in midriff area? I’m making that now 🙂 To balance out the skin showing, I am making the skirt longer and the flatter sleeves. Although, sleeves pattern needs to be adjusted, as you can see above!

Also, I need your input on this – I’ve been shipping my orders to the U.S. and elsewhere using the Japan Postal Office’s “small air package” method, which is the cheapest option available. The method does not provide tracking number or insurance, but depending on the weight, it costs 400 yen and up for a dress. By using that method, I have been able to maintain reasonable shipping fees to the U.S. ($5) and other countries ($7). I do not want people to not purchase my items because of high shipping fees.

However, this past month, I’ve had some costumers telling me that they did not receive  items that had been shipped. That got me thinking, perhaps I should change my shipping method to EMS, Expedited Mailing Services, which comes with tracking number and insurance up to 20,000 yen (about 250 USD). This method is more expensive, starting from 1300 yen for an item, more depending on weight. I’m considering changing shipping fee in my shop to $10, and eat the rest of the cost. What do you think? Would you still purchase an item with $10 shipping fee? I offer EMS option for my customers and it is included in my shop policy (that I ship by EMS with extra charge), but I don’t think most buyers read the policy before purchasing..  Also, with U.S. dollars doing so crappy (76 yen for a dollar now 🙁 ), it is getting hard for me to eat the extra costs. Any thoughts?

Mommy’s Diary 17 – I’m Loosing My Hair!

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It has been four months since Kiko came into my life. The time has gone so, so quickly!

But, enough reminiscing, on to the topic at hand. I’ve heard that a woman can lose a significant amount of hair 2-3 months after giving birth. Apparently, this is because of some hormonal change. One of my friends told me that she lost her hair like a shedding dog. I heard about it, but wasn’t really believing it until now. I assumed it would not be a problem for me, because I have (or had) hair which is super thick hair so losing some would actually be good for me. I was wrong! I’m losing so much hair, it’s crazy! When I wash my hair, the drain gets clogged with hair. I sweep the floor every morning because I see my hair all over the place! And sadly, I found a bald spot on the front side of my forehead.

Look (see arrow).

So to hide my bald spot, I cut my bangs a bit shorter than usual and let it hang. I prefer to have long bangs, so long it almost mixes with my back hair. That way I can put all my hair up when I put it in a bun. It helps to combat the heat and humidity in Japan Summer. But my bald spot kept growing so I had no choice but to cut my bangs.

I’m also trying not to put my hair on pony tail or bun too much so it’s not always pulling the hair thereby making the balding process worse. As a result I did some hair experimentation and I came up with this braided hair style that does the job of looking o.k. and hiding the baldness! I really like the result! It is similar to Milk Maid braids, but it takes less time in my opinion. I get this done in less than two minutes and it perfectly hides my bald spot 🙂

1. Braid your hair from the top of your hair all the way to the end. Secure the end with a small elastic band.
2. Bring the braid all the way to the top of your head like a head band. Using pins of your hair color, secure the braid around your head.
3. Wear a headband to hide the end of the braid 🙂