How to Make a Baptism Outfit From a Wedding Dress
Chances are a wedding dress carefully preserved in a box will remain on a shelf gathering dust. Making a baptism outfit from a wedding dress is a wonderful way to keep family heirlooms circulating from generation to generation. For many, it transforms something of beauty with sentimental meaning into an item that can be easily passed down in a family. Not only does creating a baptismal gown from a family wedding dress allow families the chance to recycle a bit of history into something that otherwise might never get used again, it is also a unique way to preserve a special day in a family's life. Making a baptismal outfit from a wedding dress involves cutting and sewing delicate fabric. It is not something that should be undertaken unless you are a confident seamstress.
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Things You'll Need
- Baptismal outfit pattern
- Pins
- Seam ripper
- Tailor's chalk
- Scissors
- Sewing machine
- Needle
- Thread
Instructions
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1
Make sure the wedding dress is clean; consider taking it to a dry cleaner that specializes in wedding dresses.
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2
Gently cut the thread on the seams of the wedding dress with a seam ripper. Remove the thread and discard it.
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3
Cut the pattern pieces and flatten them with an iron.
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4
Lay the pattern pieces on top of the fabric over a table or the floor. Pin the fabric to the pattern pieces to secure it before you start cutting. Place tissue paper between the pattern pieces and the fabric for fabric that is especially slippery.
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5
Cut the fabric following the pattern piece outline--tissue and all. Most silk fabrics used in wedding dresses should be cut folded in two layers, especially if the material is highly textured.
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6
Mark any button holes, or other special features using tailor's chalk.
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7
Sew a test seam with around 8 to 12 stitches per inch to determine the best stitch quality on the wedding dress fabric. Sew the dress according to the pattern guide using your sewing machine for the main parts of the outfit, but sew by hand when you get to the hem and sleeves.
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Choose the correct needle depending on the type of fabric you are working with. For instance, when working with chenille, a common fabric used in wedding dresses, your needle should be short and thick with a blunt point and an oval eye.
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9
Use special care with very fine silks and satins. Slippery and delicate fabric may be difficult to sew. Denver Fabrics recommends laying the fabric on top of strips of tissue paper or even toilet paper and sewing through all layers.
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10
Finish your seams to prevent the silk from raveling or fraying, which is common with silk fabrics. Denver Fabrics suggests hand-overcast, zigzag, simple seam binding and Hong Kong-bound edges, and highly recommends avoiding bulk edges.
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11
Select your thread. Most silk fabrics used in wedding gowns can be sewn with cotton-wrapped or 100 percent polyester. Silk thread can be expensive, and while the look is fabulous, it is not as strong as cotton or polyester for garment construction and is more likely to fray or break. Use the expensive silk thread for top-stitching and embellishing that will be done in Step 12.
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12
Add any lace or embroidery material to the edges with hand sewing. Many baptismal gowns have lace or embroidery designs that run along the hem of the gown as well as the sleeves. If possible, reuse any lace from the wedding gown or veil on the baptismal gown.
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13
Use your sewing machine's button hole feature to create button holes.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Consider using any leftover material rather than throwing it away. A bonnet, booties or even a baptismal romper for any post-baptism festivities can also be made if extra material is available.
Take care not to mix fabrics together, since over time these mixed materials do not wear as well. The same goes with threading, so if you are using cotton fabric, use cotton thread in your sewing, except for silk, as described in Step 11.
