« Bodice Beautiful | Main | With Flair! »
April 17, 2008
Is Perfection Overrated?
So here is version 1.0 of the dress. I'm loving the French seams on the skirt and it went together (mostly) well, but there were (as there always are) some problems.
First, the skirt ended up too narrow for my (apparently) massive ribcage. I will be able to get around this by adding little panels to hold the zipper. That should be easy enough. The bodice looked pretty good on its lonesome, but once I attached it to the skirt, it got a little puckery. It is probably not really as noticeable in real life as it seems in the picture; the offending areas are very small and along the seam line. I am hoping that when my heaving bosoms are inserted, none of that will be visible at all.
So, the question of perfection arises. Now I realize that this is my wedding dress and that I will only have one (right?). How much will I stress over this if it looks nice on? Do I want to have to baby it because I am afraid of messing it up? For instance, I am having a garden wedding. It would be nice to be able to frolic without being a worry wart. I'm not really an advocate of Trash the Dress, but I should be able to wear it without anxiety. The second part of that is, will I feel self conscious if it is not absolutely perfect? As an amateur seamstress, I probably won't be able to get anything absolutely perfect, but how many mistakes are too many? Sigh. The good news is that I have a ton of fabric left. I could make two more if I really wanted. Also, I have a lot of time. I mean, this took what, two days? Maybe this will be the muslin after all and I can convert it into a nightgown. I think I need to wait for a little while to get some perspective.
Posted by loyd0008 at April 17, 2008 09:05 AM
Comments
Well it looks lovely from here! I always think after working on a big project like this, it is good to step back from it for a little bit before really deciding how you feel about it. That always gives me a bit of perspective (and honestly when you have been working on something awhile the flaws tend to jump out, but setting it aside usually helps me regain perspective).
Posted by: Chara Michele at April 17, 2008 10:24 AM
You're totally right. I'm sure after a while I won't even notice most of the stuff I'm worried about. I showed J a seam I redid a million times and he gave me this look like, "I can't believe you were stressing over *that*" I think I'll just shop for jewelry on line to take my mind off it. :D
Posted by: villain at April 17, 2008 10:55 AM
I made my wedding dress nearly 35 yrs ago, and wanted it to be "perfect" as every bride does. However, just having a custom-tailored dress, made by my own hands was a sort of perfection. Do let the dress hang for a few days, think about it, think again, then try it on and see how you feel. It's what I did, and I am sure many brides do. I redid the bodice of my dress after deciding that the first one wasn't "doing it" for me. Your fabric is lovely, the style of the gown is simple and elegant, and the compliments will overwhelm you:-)
Good luck!
Kathy
Posted by: Kathy at April 17, 2008 10:29 PM
I made my wedding dress nearly 35 yrs ago, and wanted it to be "perfect" as every bride does. However, just having a custom-tailored dress, made by my own hands was a sort of perfection. Do let the dress hang for a few days, think about it, think again, then try it on and see how you feel. It's what I did, and I am sure many brides do. I redid the bodice of my dress after deciding that the first one wasn't "doing it" for me. Your fabric is lovely, the style of the gown is simple and elegant, and the compliments will overwhelm you:-)
Good luck!
Kathy
Posted by: Kathy at April 17, 2008 10:29 PM
I agree that you should let it sit for a few days, maybe even a week (the wedding's not until August, right?) or more. Then try it one and have another look at it. You might even want to take a picture of yourself in it to look at in a week or so, to see whether you feel differently.
I think it's hard for us to judge, from a hanger (and I understand why you don't want to post a pic of yourself in it!) As a dress on a hanger, it looks beautiful. :)
Give it a rest, then see how you feel.
Posted by: Sarah B at April 18, 2008 05:32 AM
Your dress is beautiful! The best part is that you already have one dress finished and plenty of time to decide if you want to try another.
The entire day will go so fast, the most important thing is that you are comfortable and feel confident in it. Not to mention, I got married ten years ago, and after six moves in that span of time, I'm not even sure where my dress is anymore...
Posted by: Barbara at April 18, 2008 08:25 AM