Project One: For The Love of Jenny

Project Keepsakes

I’ve nicknamed this very special project ....   
” For The Love Of Jenny”.  

You see, Jenny is my sweet daughter-in-law.
And with a promise made months back,
I began this project for her & wanted to keep a journal to share some of the processes.
New to this.. so please do bare (no pun intended) with lacks of edits and pictures. Always room for improvement!

And before I go any further with sharing my experiences with this promised project,
May I please take a moment to praise my one & only favorite son.
Who brought Jenny into our family by marrying her & with whom we have grown to
adore and love so very much. And to say a ....

Thank you !!... to my dear son, for finding a great  and wonderful wife!!!
Makes a mom truly happy indeed and not to mention that I gained another daughter once he did marry.

 Now back to my story...For the Love of Jenny which is about her wedding dress. And a desire to turn it into keepsakes.With time to plan - construct- deconstruct and to reform & reshape again, I share the basics  and add a few of those pictures collected... in thinking one day I would journal them.

Well here we go... but maybe with some limited sources.

I also wish to share at t his point with just how creative our Jenny is. 

Many lovely ideas that she has shared and to inspire me with. 

This project is dedicated to her among many of gifts & love. 

We enjoy inspiring each other among moments when together
and with lots of ideas afloat.
Her special request to me months back came with my promise of doing.
And something I had never done. Jenny wished her lovely wedding dress (that no longer would be worn)  to be turned into keepsakes. Sounded fun & challenging!

With uncertainty undertaking this type of task,
and feeling her confidence of successes, I took the dive
and sure lead me digging deeply within my own abilities.
Think that's referred to as... a challenge!
Indeed when never traveling down that road.

And within that process in the making...
something even more memorable develop for us both & now to share!
And so I share the outline with that process encountered, as to
 reshaped her wedding dress into a change and somewhat of a change within myself as well!

Jenny's Dress

Hung n ready to tear apart...

Oh my!

I began the dissemble with her special wedding dress which was during the hot southern summer months ., in fact it was on my son's birthday. And found it as to be not too difficult once I dived into it. 

But boy ...how the first rip of that side seams along the skirt line did impact me, & with holding my thoughts and breath and in thinking...
" I'm not destroying this dress.. but making something renewed!"
And at that time... knew this special idea of Jenny's
and with the confidences in me as to so did follow me onward & thereafter
 knowing it would be seen and worn again!
 

 With a very precious bear named ...

Ms. Darling

As one can see ..
Ms Darling is a very special bear.

(She has a great smile ..doesn't she? 

It's the kind that makes you smile back! :)

Pictured above she is in her mockup styled red attire.

This was configure with a pattern for the dress for her. 

Think it served the purpose well 

and with making the skirt out of red felt first 

and the bodice out of a pretty star print cotton.

Therefore, she could wear it afterwards too. 

Simple enough.. and held with some details 

along with my attention later.

Ms Darling holds with fond n' loving memories
which are dear and closest to both our hearts now.
And with a need to be outfitted
in a very special manner,
so Jenny could show off her great smile.

Pulling apart the garment

As I continued to disassemble her beautiful wedding , 

my thoughts kept recalling she wore this special garment one one very special day

as I began to attack it with my seam ripper!

The day marrying my son!...

Well I sure took a deep breathe and then began  ripping with the first skirt seam...

and then to begin with thinking that this was a project request & as to wonder what would lie ahead as I

encounter the methods from transforming her wedding dress into keepsakes.

(I thought at this point that I had more pictures to share of the dissembled processes with

count of total pieces ....but does not seem to be available to post.)

However, I can share that several panels came away from the dress bottom.
4 or more "A" shaped panels.. if I recall. One panel became the new skirt for Ms Darling
and the remaining panel pieces shall
 form several  keepsake pillows now in the planning stages.

The bodice 

The halter bodice became 3 pieces when pulled apart,

with one large piece from the draped area that had been offset to the side.

 ( this piece is shown below with the pillow keepsake post)

The original halter bodice became the new bodice fitted to Ms Darling. I rebuilt it with new lining added & applied & as to reapply ,some of the embellishments by hand stitching them back in place.

I had to remove some of them as the piecing/ reconstructing took place and more attention

around the bodice area & to stitch them back on the new bodice in proper placement done by hand.

The method I used was among the under stitching processes & methods for embellishments & to conceal the thread that held them in place. The original was done with invisible thread with certain embellishment pieces applied yet white worked just fine for me and as I concealed mainly of what was sewn back in place.

With the dress in several pieces...the developing stages begun.

A Little More Developing 

I laid all of the pieces disassembled in front of me and to get a feel for things. 

Since I am a visual person when creativity is taking place the becomes my method as to foreseen things unknown with items I have before me.This came in quite handy for this project.

And then I began to dive in!

The bodice is shown &
Laid out for piecing development. 

Skirt piecing 

Layout made , using previously made Red Christmas Skirt 

Skirt piece
Cut & ready to be sewn.
I piece & stitched the edge with decorative edge stitching for a finished look and hem by applying  white silk ribbon which  measured about 2 inch in width to attach along the hemline. This added  stiffness with a finished look and using machine decorative stitching to finish the hem and secure the edges.

 Ms Darling's  first fitting.

Fitting bodice pieces to check adjustments that shall be made. I pieced together the 2 lapping pieces by  sewing them together at their 2 bottom edges and with making a bad about 2 inches in width once I reconstructed the bodice . This produced a band where I later shall apply the skirt. And with finishing  raw seams edged stitch them.

At this point a smaller bodice halter & time to ensured that most of the embellishments would be well treated when sewn back together too. And  attention to them without a  machine needle mishap when sewn. I pulled off some of the embellishments once I had the bodice well pieced together & right before sewing it to obviously have a freer sewing path. I had left many of them in tack till the new seams were known & as I underwent the piecing phase. After sewing the pieces carefully together another fitting with Ms Darling . At that time is when I cut the bottom excess off ensuring a new band was present. That would later be sewn along with the skirt waist line. At that point the lapping bodice was in place & back together and a lap to the back around the neck line needed my attention. Time for snaps to be added & for another fit, and lining to be placed at bottom with more edge stitching to provide a finished look.

MS Darling's bodice was now formed!

Below the newly formed bodice 

for Ms Darling

Fitted bodice with re-sewn embellishments .

Once the bodice was together the skirt was sewn to the bodice by adding white silk ribbon to add 

to her new waist line & added for more detailing. Decorative stitching applied at 2 back ends of the skirt & a the silk ribbon to tie with at the back . Fasteners were added at the back with the lap neckline and skirt for holding in place... as completion & final details near.

With this phase nearing completion ... 

I knew I need to add a veil. 

The veil was made from a piece of white sheer linen and edge stitch

After all hems were in place the gathering took place to make the top of the veil and to be held in place by her lovely furry head. A long stitch on the machine allowed that with the gathers. I began to pull the long end treads so the crown would take shape & once the gathered fitted to her lovely crown around her furry face, 

I added ribbon to each side for tying it in place. All fasteners, snaps & ties in place & adding the veil the final finishes with a few more decorative stitching...  and now the final fit.

MS Darling seems a pretty n' happy bride now.

Our dolled up Ms Darling is ready for Jenny!

I really like this silhouette photo of her

and now........  Jenny's new keepsake.

To be continued..... 

Keepsake Pillows

The remaining pieces (skirt panel & bodice drape) are shown below taking shape

and will become a keepsake pillow. 

Currently in the making... so stay tuned.

 Thanks for dropping by & visiting!

Techniques turning wedding dresses into heirlooms :

 Wedding gown transformed to heirloom christening gowns

Wedding Dress made into a Christening Dress