How to Alter a Bridal Gown

Your bridal gown may be the most important and memorable piece of clothing that you wear in your entire life. Due to their elaborate and ornate designs, these gowns are often some of the most difficult garments to sew, especially in the bust. Whether you are working on your own bridal gown or someone else's dress, there are some important steps to follow as you alter the garment.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Pins
• Fabric pen
• Sewing machine
• Scissors
• Seam ripper
• Iron
• Measuring tape

1. Begin altering the bridal gown by turning the entire dress inside out. It is best to make all markings on the seams of the inside lining.
2. Put the dress on or have your model don it, depending on who will be wearing the final dress.
3. Gather the fabric in between your fingers, along the side seams of the bust and skirt of the dress, so that it fits snugly against the model's body.
4. Put pins along the seam to hold it in place against the body. Be sure to keep the dress even and centered in both the front and the back.
5. Use a fabric pen to mark the placing of the pins. Make a small, light line with the fabric pen next to each of the pins on both sides of the seam, and then remove them, so the dress can be taken off the model.
6. Remove the existing seam using a seam ripper, being careful not to rip the fabric or cut yourself. The goal is to remove the stitching from the seam without damaging any of the fabric.
7. Realign the seams of the bust, using the marks you created with the fabric pin as your guide.
8. Stitch the two layers of the gown's bust together along the new seams, using your sewing machine.
9. Put the dress back on your model to be sure that it fits correctly and that there is no puckering in the fabric along the seams.
10. Use a pair of scissors to trim off any excess fabric on either side of the new seam lines. This will help remove any bumps or wrinkles from the seams of the dress. You can also use an iron to flatten the seams if necessary.
11. Alter the length of the bridal gown by first removing the hem of the dress using a seam ripper.
12. Use your iron to flatten out the crease where the hem once was, and then put the dress back on the model.
13. Gather the fabric along the bottom of the dress and pin it to stay in place at the desire length, placing the pins all the way around the bottom of the dress.
14. Sew the new hem of the dress using your sewing machine. Use a measuring tape to measure the length of the dress from the bust to the hem to be sure that the hem is even in the front and back of the gown.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask a friend to help you alter your bridal gown. It is extremely helpful to have a second pair of hands to hold pins in place and make marks, especially if you are altering your own gown, since you will also need to act as the model.
• The person who will be wearing the dress should be present and wearing the dress for all alterations in order to get the fit as close as possible.