How to Alter a Wedding Gown
Choosing a gown is only the first step for the wedding dress process. Now it's time for alterations. Nearly every bride needs to have her dream gown tailored to fit her body. Although some extremely intricate designs with tiny beading and other specialty touches are best handled by a professional tailor, simpler styles can be taken in carefully at home by someone with a little sewing experience. If you are a bride who will be doing the alterations yourself, use a dress form or have a friend of the same size try on the dress. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Straight pins
- Tape measure
- Disappearing ink fabric marker or tailor's chalk
- Seam ripper
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Fabric scissors
- Iron
Instructions
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1
Have the bride put on the wedding gown to determine what areas will need alterations. Check the fit of the bust, waist and hem. Make a note of the areas on which you will concentrate.
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2
Turn the dress inside out, and place it back on the bride. Pinch in the sides seams to determine how much needs to be taken in around the bust and waist in order to fit snugly but comfortably.
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3
Use straight pins to mark the placement of the new seams. Pull evenly on both sides of the dress so that the front will not be off-center when it's sewn. For example, if you are taking in a total of 1 inch from around the waist, split the difference so that you have it pinned 1/2 inch in on each side seam. Use your tape measure to make exact measurements.
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4
Use a disappearing ink fabric marker or tailor's chalk to mark the fabric where the pins are placed. Remove the pins and have the bride take off the gown.
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5
Carefully take out the existing seam with a seam ripper, working very slowly to make sure that you do not tear the fabric.
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6
Re-pin the fabric, aligning the fabric marker or tailor's chalk marks on both sides to match up the new placement of the side seams. Use a sewing machine threaded with matching thread to sew down the new seams, following your marks and removing pins as you sew.
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7
Turn the dress right side out, and have the bride put it on again. If the fit is correct, remove the dress and turn it inside out again. If you are taking in more than 1/2 inch from either side, use your fabric scissors to cut away excess fabric from the newly sewn side seams. Otherwise, the current seam allowance can remain. Flatten out the seams with an iron.
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8
If the length of the gown needs to be altered as well, use the seam ripper to remove the existing hemline, and iron out the crease. With the dress back on the bride and the bride wearing her wedding shoes, pin the placement of the new hem using a tape measure to keep it consistent.
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9
Iron a crease where the new hem will be, and sew it down using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Have the bride put the dress on again and check the new length.
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