Brooks Ann Camper Bridal Couture

Custom Wedding Dresses and Sewing Lessons in Hillsborough, Durham, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina

  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Portfolio
  • Accolades
    • Testimonials
    • Interviews & Articles
  • FAQs
  •  Contact
  • BLOG
  • Classes

In with the New!

❤ Posted by brooks ann on January 15, 2021

What a Year!

As we all close out the weirdest year ever and move into the unknowns of the future, I wanted to offer thanks and gratitude to you (and my small Team -more on them below!) and to share some updates about where I’ve been and where I am going!

My quick 2020 recap (click each link or photo for more):

...

Read More »

Never miss a post! Sign up for my email newsletter.

I Made Myself the Coolest Dress pt. 3 – Sewing & Finishing

❤ Posted by brooks ann on December 26, 2020

The final post of this short blog series following the coolest dress I made for myself is here! (And it’s a doozy! I have over 50 photos to share!)

In Part 1- I walked you through my design process, the custom pattern making, and fitting my mockup. In Part 2– I shared how I dyed the silk/wool fabric and prepped it for construction by underlining each piece with my deconstructed mockup. Caught up? Good.

In this final Part 3, I’ll do the actual dressmaking- stitching and finishing it all up! Let’s get right to it!

Starting to Stitch

To get myself warmed up, I started assembly with one of the short pieces of the back. I figured that working through the back first would give me enough practice to confidently stitch up the front.

...

Read More »

Never miss a post! Sign up for my email newsletter.

I Made Myself the Coolest Dress pt. 2 – Dyeing & Underlining

❤ Posted by brooks ann on December 11, 2020

In part 1 of this short blog series, I tell the story of how I designed, drafted the pattern, and fit the mockup for a super-cool dress for myself. This second post is all about the fabric!

Choosing the Fabric

My rule of thumb for purchasing fabrics is to buy enough for my pattern + plenty of technique tests + enough to recut the largest piece if I had to. Since my sewing practice involves plenty of prep, I rarely need to recut, so as a one-of-a-kind custom wedding dressmaker, the “fabric stash” I’ve accumulated over the years is mostly white.

I rarely wear white. And in addition to Frocktails, I was planning to wear my new dress as to a special wedding (more coming soon!) (spot my hem and elbow in People Magazine!)… But with a custom dye job, I could make white fabrics any color I want…. 

…and since I so rarely sew for myself (#thedressmakerhasnoclothes) I might as well work with a favorite…

Deborah’s bridal gown was made from the dreamiest silk/wool satin. It’s not only goooorgeous, it was really fun to sew. I did not need to recut while creating her dress, so I had some scrumptious yardage left over…

...

Read More »

Never miss a post! Sign up for my email newsletter.

I Made Myself the Coolest Dress pt. 1 – Pattern Design & Mockup

❤ Posted by brooks ann on November 24, 2020

Though my personal wardrobe is mostly “the dressmaker has no clothes”, when I do make something for myself, it’s usually an epic project. I’m so excited to finally share this super-cool custom-designed self-drafted hand-dyed color-blocked dress with all of you!

The Event

Back in olden times (over a year ago), I was working with two brides at once (each will have a bridal blog series coming soon!) (Well, soon-ish...) I needed something for myself to wear to one of the weddings and to Asheville Frocktails. Frocktails is a magical event that started popping up all over the world (back when events were a thing) to give garment sewing enthusiasts a reason to make themselves something super-special to wear while meeting others who love to sew. 

...

Read More »

Never miss a post! Sign up for my email newsletter.

Tiffany’s Wedding Day!

❤ Posted by brooks ann on October 14, 2020


Three Region Photography

It’s finally time to share about Tiffany’s wedding day!!! Yay!!!

Tiffany and Kemp were married  in December 2018 in the cutest little chapel in downtown Raleigh.  Jessica of Three Region Photography was there to capture the day and all its gorgeousness. I could chit chat, but the photos (and some words from Tiffany) say it all! Let’s get right to it!

Getting Ready

Next door to the chapel was the little room where Tiffany would get ready for her wedding day. I felt the magic as soon as I arrived to deliver the dress…

...

Read More »

Never miss a post! Sign up for my email newsletter.

Tiffany’s Photoshoot and Delivery Day!

❤ Posted by brooks ann on September 30, 2020

As we are nearing the end of the bridal blog series following the creation of Tiffany’s custom wedding dress, I am really feeling the anticipation and excitement. After making the final stitch, there were still a couple of events before the Wedding Day: The Photoshoot and the Delivery Day (which also became a photoshoot!)

The Studio Photoshoot

Before a custom dress leaves my studio, I have learned to get my own “professional” shots. After months of working through the couture custom process, I get really attached to my work and become nervous to let it go without some serious sharable documentation. Most wedding photographers are delighted for me to share their photos, but they all have different policies and styles. I’ve learned that if you need to be certain that something will be available to you, you often have to do it yourself. Luckily, DIY is my jam!

With the help of my handsome husband Charles, I turned my sewing studio into a photo studio and pretended I was a professional photographer for a day.

But before I share my favorite shots…

...

Read More »

Never miss a post! Sign up for my email newsletter.

Finishing Tiffany’s Wedding Dress

❤ Posted by brooks ann on September 15, 2020

After the basted fitting, it was all about finishing. Anything temporary would now become permanently secured and all the gorgeous inner sewing guts would be finished off and hidden inside a lining. My To-Do list would get shorter and shorter until each task was checked off. This is such an exciting part of the process… Thanks so much for following along!

Missing Something?

Though I didn’t quite put my finger on it during the basted fitting, I had a nagging thought that there was something missing in Tiffany’s dress. So before moving forward with finishing, I compared my memories and photos from the fitting with the final sketch– looking for anything I may have missed or done a little differently.

And I found it.

...

Read More »

Never miss a post! Sign up for my email newsletter.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 45
  • Next Page »

Search this website

Sign Up for My Free Email Newsletter

to receive blog posts plus extra goodies in your inbox roughly twice a month, and a “Peek Inside My Sewing Library” in the first email!

brooksanncamper

Hi there! I'm Brooks Ann, and I'm an independent designer and couture dressmaker for one-of-a-kind bridalwear located in Hillsborough, North Carolina. I also teach the sew-curious both in-person and online.

My blog follows along with the couture process of how each heirloom-quality custom wedding dress is made from idea to wedding day, as well as other interesting tidbits related to sewing, weddings, and body positivity.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Popular Posts

  • DIY Professional Sewing Room Table
  • Sewing Technique Spotlight: Underlining (pt.1)
  • Retrospective: The making of a dress, a blog, and a business
  • My Sewing Machines
  • Two Myths of Learning to Make Your Own Sewing Patterns
  • How to Choose and Use a Thimble

Learn more about my online courses:

brooksanncamper

Learn hand sewing skills with me in-person:

brooksanncamper

Featured in Seamwork Magazine:

"Pressing Forward"
a personal essay

"Under Construction"
a guide to underlining

"Sew Like a Pro"
upgrade your sewing space

"Learning curves"
a guide to bias binding

Listen to my Love To Sew podcast interview!

brooksanncamper

Follow the Story Of...

  • Follow the story of Brooks Ann's dress… Follow the story of Brooks Ann's dress…
  • Follow the story of Caitlin's dress… Follow the story of Caitlin's dress…
  • Follow the Story of Cameron's Dress… Follow the Story of Cameron's Dress…
  • Follow the story of Deborah's dress… Follow the story of Deborah's dress…
  • Follow the story of Diane's outfit… Follow the story of Diane's outfit…
  • Follow the story of Erin's dress… Follow the story of Erin's dress…
  • Follow the story of Greta's dress… Follow the story of Greta's dress…
  • Follow the story of Heather's accessories… Follow the story of Heather's accessories…
  • Follow the story of Jill's jacket… Follow the story of Jill's jacket…
  • Follow the story of Katie's dress… Follow the story of Katie's dress…
  • Follow the story of Leah's dress… Follow the story of Leah's dress…
  • Follow the story of Lila Rose's dress… Follow the story of Lila Rose's dress…
  • Follow the story of Loula's dress… Follow the story of Loula's dress…
  • Follow the story of Margaret's dress… Follow the story of Margaret's dress…
  • Follow the story of Melissa's dress… Follow the story of Melissa's dress…
  • Follow the story of Michelle's dress… Follow the story of Michelle's dress…
  • Follow the Story of Sally's Dress… Follow the Story of Sally's Dress…
brooksanncamper

Featured Photographers

  • Brent Clark
  • Brooke Mayo
  • Dawn Castor
  • Eloise Farr
  • Greg Pearson
  • Kent Corley
  • Lauren Kennedy
  • Luke Edmonson
  • Lulu Lovering
  • Michel Berda
  • Mike Micciche
  • Nick Pironio
  • Ryan White
  • Sarah Der
  • Shaena Mallett
  • Shane Snider
  • Suzanne Rossi
  • Timeless Photojournalism
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

❤