Changing the Wedding Dress

My friend Mary asked me to help her by making her daughter's wedding dress have sleeves.  I haven't ever worked on a wedding dress like this, but I told her I was willing to try.  Last fall, my friend Julie helped me figure out how to change the pattern for Hannah's homecoming dress to go from strapless to one with sleeves.  I borrowed her pattern, combined it with the pattern I had, & sewed it into a very beautiful dress.  My friend Becky helped me with the draping.  (I am very grateful for my friends!)

 

Making that dress for Hannah gave me the confidence to work on Mary's daughter's dress.  This is what the dress looked like when they bought it.

 This is what it looks like now.  I made the top of the bodice from a dress pattern.  I made the satin bias tape (trim) to finish the edges of the sleeves and to go along the neckline.  I added the beads & sequins on the trim.  I resewed all of the sequins and beads on the appliques that are over the shoulders.  I am very pleased with how it turned out!  It is nice to have it finished!  I felt like an artist when I was sewing the beads on.  The bride told me she really likes it and that it doesn't look like someone was trying to fix the dress--that it looks like it was purchased this way.  What a compliment!