HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1987-02-04, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1987.
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Brides today have the option of creating a one-of-a-kind wedding gown
by sewing their own dress from one of the several excellent patterns on
the market. Vogue patterns are especially easy-to-follow, and some
have patterns for bridesmaid’s dresses included.
Give your printer lots
of time on invitations
Sew your own
bridal gown
A couple may make any number
of elaborate plans for a perfect
wedding day, but unless they allow
the printer enough ‘‘lead time” for
their invitations, they may have a
smaller wedding than anticipated.
Printers often complain that too
many couples leave the ordering
and sending of invitations to the
last minute. The order should be
placed at least six weeks before the
invitations are to be mailed, they
say.
Couples of European extraction
often seem better attuned to the
importance of timing their invita
tions, one printer said. It is not
uncommon for his firm to receive
their orders six months before the
wedding date.
But other couples often just
don’t leave enough lead time,
which can cause a major problem,
especially during the busy spring
and summer months.
Carole Stevens, a consultant
with the Wedding Council of
Ontario, says a good rule is to mail
invitations to out-of-town guests at
least seven weeks before the
wedding, with a five-week lead
time for local guests.
Extend this guideline by an extra
week if the wedding is in July or
August, because so many people
are away on vacation during these
months that they may not see the
invitation for several weeks.
Ms. Stevens also points out that
couples who leave the invitations
too late also make things difficult
for themselves, since replies may
come in so late it may complicate
wedding plans.
She advises couples to order
their invitations as soon as the time
and location of the wedding are
established. Reply cards should
include a stamp, not only because it
isgoodetiquette, butbecauseit
also qnsure a quicker response. If
the stamp is there and it's ready to
go, people tend to send it along
right away, Ms. Stevens says.
The cost of wedding stationery
for an average wedding of 100
guests will likely be between $150
and $200, excluding postage.
If children are to be included in
thecelebrations, this should be
specified on the invitations. It is
considered bad form to bring
children to a wedding, unless they
have been specifically invited.
“Huron County 's Only Complete
Christian Bookstore
invites you to select your:
•Wedding Music
•Albums & accompaniment cassettes
•Invitations & stationery by Rainbow,
Sunset & Monarch
•Meaningful gifts for
Wedding Pro grams
in stock
suppliedfree
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of stationery
57 Albert St.,
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482-3128
When you make your own
wedding gown you can save up to
80 per cent of the cost of a
ready-made one, and it guarantees
you the satisfaction of having a
one-of-a-kind creation. Only you
will choose the particular combina
tion of pattern, fabric, color and
trim.
‘ ‘You don’t have to be an expert
seamstress to rackle a wedding
dress, but attention to a few details
can make your project an easier
one,” says clothing and textiles
specialist Margaret Lowen of the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
and Food’srural organizations and
services branch.
First, ask the sales clerk to roll
your fabric on a tube, instead of
folding it in a bag. Leave it on the
tube, covered with paper or a clean
sheet until ready to cut. Keep the
sewing area scrupulously clean;
dust and clean your sewing
machine every time you use it. Put
old sheets on the floor around the
sewing machine and under the
ironing board while you are
working.
Unlessyou intend to wear the
dress after the wedding, don’t
preshrink the fabric. Even if you do
expect to get more wear from your
dress, the style may be hard to iron,
and may be better left to a dry
cleaner.
Don’tfoldthe pieces of the gown
while you are working on it.
Instead, keep them rolled on the
tube, or on a padded hanger once
they are sewn together.
Trims such as beads and sequins
may be painstakingly sewn on,
oneatatime, orgluedonto save
time. To glue, use a flexible craft
glue, which dries clear. Hold each
bead with tweezers, dip it in the
glue, and when tacky, set it in place
on the garment.
However, glued trims may not
withstand dry-cleaning, so you
may prefer to sew on beads and
sequins, or buy extra trims for
replacement later.
One feature you should add to
your gown are straps which hold
your lingerie straps in place on
your shoulders. Sew one end of a
short, narrow satin or grossgrain
ribbon inside the dress to the
shoulder seam near the armhole.
Sew a small snap fastener to the
shoulder seam near the neck edge,
and to the free end of the ribbon.
When you put on your gown, slip
the straps around the lingerie
straps and fasten.
Some people feel that if you sew
a dress from a store-bought
pattern, it won’t look very original.
Nothing could be further from the
truth. Duetothe wide variety of
fabrics, lace, notions and patterns,
no two dresses will look exactly
alike.
Vogue patterns are the biggest
sellers in bridal gowns. Vogue has
several patterns which are magni
ficent; traditional, sophisticated
and unique.
One dress looks Victorian, with
fittedbodice, full skirt and long
train; another has a skirt that flares
out in a modern tulip shape. The
instructions for Vogue bridal pat
terns are well thought out, and
most have matching bridesmaid’s
pattern included.
One final suggestion: before
making a gown, browse through
some bridal magazines and try on a
few ready-made gowns to find
which styles are most becoming to
you.
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