Navigation Sew Beautiful
 
    Women's Construction

 Forum List  |  New Topic  |  Go to Top  |  Go to Topic  |  Threaded View  |  Search  |  Log In   Newer Topic  |  Older Topic 
 pattern for a prom dress
Author: kathleen keys 
Date:   10-04-07 17:49

Help please. My 16 year old grandaughter has just asked me to make her a prom dress for her school prom for next July. This is something new for me as I live in the UK and school proms are just starting to become popular over here. I am a moderate level sewer, and have made dresses for my youngest grandaughter who is 4 but not anything bigger. I have used patterns from all the major companies including Martha Pullen for her, but prom dresses are new to me. I would be grateful for any suggestions from all you ladies in the US on this, as I feel very honoured to have been asked to do this and hope to make it a success.
The only thing I know about prom dresses is thay they are full length, so please correct me if I am wrong. She would like it made in a green colour, and she is about my height which is just under 5 feet and slim build.
Any advice please on which pattern company to use as it would be very much appriciated by this proud grandmother.
Kathleen ( a UK sewer who is always ready for advice)
Reply To This Message
 
 Re: pattern for a prom dress
Author: KarenVA  
Date:   10-05-07 13:12

Oh, Kathleen!! How exciting!! Does your granddaughter have an idea of the style she wants her dress to be? If not, the two of you might want to go through some pattern books together (I've made many prom dresses for our 3 girls over the years--using McCalls, Simplicity, and Butterick. They all are nice to use). She can point out the ones she likes, and you can say if you feel comfortable with the details involved. Once you make your choice, I would recommend making a muslin mock up of the bodice to see if you need to make any alterations to the pattern. Then it's just a matter of finding the right fabric and sewing the dress!! Don't forget to look at magazines for embelishing ideas, too.

Good luck and have fun on your adventure!! I'm sure I speak for all of us here when I say--it would be lovely to see a picture of your finished dress!!!
Reply To This Message
 
 Re: pattern for a prom dress
Author: kathleen keys 
Date:   10-05-07 17:01

Thankyou Karen for your kind message. My grandaughter Charlotte is coming to see me tomorrow Sunday, so we can talk over things I am hoping we can manage to get into town so we can look at some pattern books. Apparently she and her friends are arranging the school prom so I hope the dress is a success. I will keep posting the progress and will certainly get a photo in somehow.
Kathleen
Reply To This Message
 
 Re: pattern for a prom dress
Author: KarenVA  
Date:   10-07-07 08:29

Here are some links for patterns--just in case you don't get to town today!


http://www.butterick.com/list/evening_prom_bridal/page-1
http://www.mccallpattern.com/list/evening_prom_bridal/page-1
http://www.voguepatterns.com/list/evening_bridal_includes_designer/page-1
http://www.simplicity.com/index.cfm?page=thumbnail.cfm&cat=1&type=1&sec=4&browTypeId=&StartRow=1
http://www.denverfabrics.com/pages/static/prom/prom-dresses.htm
Reply To This Message
 
 Re: pattern for a prom dress
Author: kathleen keys 
Date:   10-07-07 12:02

Thanks Karen for pattern list. I did not manage to get to town today, but we are planning a visit during the half term holiday in a fortnighrs time. I will keep this list for Charlotte and I to look at next time she visits which will be just before then.
Many thanks from Kathleen
Reply To This Message
 
 Re: pattern for a prom dress
Author: KathyK 
Date:   10-07-07 17:15

Have your granddaughter clip some pictures of dresses she likes. My daughter had a hard time describing to me what she wanted, it was clear in her head, just lost in translation. What she wanted was not in the pattern books. What helped us was when we went into town and looked at actual dresses. I was pleasantly surprised that my daughter wanted a cascading lace skirt and a shirred lace bodice. Have fun with this project, I enjoyed doing this though it was a lot of work. Kathy
Reply To This Message
 
 Re: pattern for a prom dress
Author: kathleen keys 
Date:   10-07-07 19:08

Thanks Kathy. I have up till next July for her dress to be finished. She has drawn a sketch of a strapless bodice with a full skirt, either long or short, so I am going on that just now. This is a challenge but I hope to make a success even if I do a test one first in muslin or similiar.
Kathleen
Reply To This Message
 
 Re: pattern for a prom dress
Author: worrywart 
Date:   10-08-07 08:27

For making a strapless, boned bodice, I recommend Susan Khaljie's book,"Bridal Couture." I had to make a boned bodice for my sister, who was a bride's maid in a big wedding, and that book really saved my life and my sanity. Good luck, and have fun with it. Glynda
Reply To This Message
 
 Re: pattern for a prom dress
Author: kathleen keys 
Date:   10-08-07 12:34

Thanks Glynda
I certainly will look that book up.
Kathleen
Reply To This Message
 
 Re: pattern for a prom dress
Author: Hope Mitchner 
Date:   04-15-08 17:47

Hi Kathleen,
Welcome to the wonderful world of "teenage sewing." I just finished three prom dresses that were worn last Saturday. One was a strapless bodice with a long full skirt full of poufs. One was a mid length 1940's style dress made from a Butterick pattern and the third was strapless and long in the back flowing to knee length in front. So whatever she likes and you are comfortable sewing is appropriate for a prom.
Good luck and most important both of you enjoy the experience.
Hope
Reply To This Message
 
 Re: pattern for a prom dress
Author: Mary Jo Collins 
Date:   04-15-08 18:17

If your granddaughter if less than 5' tall be sure to shorten the back lenght of the pattern before you cut fashion fabric. miss patterns are for people 5'7" and petite is 5'3". The junior patterns have a shorter back lenght. I found sewing for my short teen grand kids that childern patterns size #14/ 16 worked out well if I inlarged the bust dart. I would made a muslin or paper pattern first an fit the upper body.

MJC
Reply To This Message
 
 Re: pattern for a prom dress
Author: kathleen keys 
Date:   04-20-08 06:35

Thanks all for replies, sorry for delay in replying as I have not been on this phorum for a while.
My dear grandaughter has now changed her mind, well I sort of persuaded her after we had a talk and I admitted I was nervous about making the dress, and now to crown it all my machine has broke down and will be in the repair shop for 2 weeks! -that will have to be another topic- as I am sadly feeling its loss. Charlotte has managed to choose a shop made dress in the style she wished, it cost me £65! but the problem is now solved.
Love to all Kathleen
Reply To This Message
 
 Re: pattern for a prom dress
Author: jem 
Date:   06-08-08 19:37

I've made many prom dresses, wedding dresses and bridesmaids type dresses. Remember that with the right fabric you can keep it very simple and let the fabric do the work. The prettiest I remember was made from a silk sari (sp). I made an underdress of cotton to match the wow silk. It was worn to the the Metropolitan Oprea in NY,NY. A well know star asked my friend who was her designer. Just me and a simple pattern from one of the big books. Good luck and have fun.

In life and death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Sprit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve....
Reply To This Message
 
 Re: pattern for a prom dress
Author: nsummerlin 
Date:   06-10-08 06:40

I've made several bridesmaid dresses and a wedding dress. Just take your time and you may want to baste some seams before final stitching and also make a muslin for proper fit. I think the outcome of how they look is mainly in proper fitting. Good advice already given in the posts.
Reply To This Message
 
 Re: pattern for a prom dress
Author: kathleen keys 
Date:   06-10-08 13:48

Thankyou Jem and NSummerlin, very much appriciated
Kathleen
Reply To This Message
 Forum List  |  New Topic  |  Go to Top  |  Go to Topic  |  Threaded View  |  Search  |  Log In   Newer Topic  |  Older Topic 



 Forum List  |  Need a Login? Register Here 
 User Login
 User Name:
 Password:
   

Trouble logging in? Contact webhelp@marthapullen.com

phorum.org