Once Cameron left the studio after her first mockup fitting, I began preparing for her second mockup fitting! The mockup process is my favorite part of the custom sewing process. Though many home sewists skip this step or stop at one, multiple mockups are my jam! I love working everything out before starting the actual dress. And since Cameron’s custom overdress will be made of sheer fabrics, there would be very little room for alterations once the custom printed fabric was cut.
Cameron’s Corrections
My favorite part of the mockup process is pattern corrections. I’m rarely disappointed when changes need to be made because I love correcting custom patterns so much!
This was the state of the mockup overdress and patterns at the end of our first fitting.
In the pic below, catch me adding the pattern corrections at the center back while also raising and reshaping the neckline. Isn’t it an absolutely beautiful mess!
Here I’m beginning to add a little height to the shoulder seam. Super fun!
Some people prefer clean pristine patterns, but I love to see the chaotic mess of history in all the lines, cuts, and folds. The tape, the tools, the scraps, the scribbles, all make my heart sing and put a huge smile on my face!
Mockup #2
Once the pattern was corrected, it was time to make mockup #2! I’d reuse the skirt from the previous mockup, but I needed to recut and remake the top based on our corrections.
Using more of the plain poly organza from before, I laid out my pattern pieces to be marked and cut. Since the center back seam worked so well in the first fitting, I kept it in the second mockup. The real dress will have a single piece of (custom floral printed) fabric for the back (which will include the cut-in-one sleeves).
I marked the stitch lines and the cut lines with a 1″ seam allowance,…
…cut and prepped all the pieces,…
…and stitched up another ghost shirt!
The top from the previous fitting on top of the new one in progress. Eerily lovely!
With a new custom fabric sample from Red Canary Studio pinned to one side, Cameron’s second mockup was eventually ready for her second mockup fitting!
Cameron’s Smile(s)
The theme of our second fitting was Cameron’s amazingly beautiful smile! Can you tell if Cameron liked Mockup #2 when she first came out of the dressing room?
She was absolutely beaming before we even started fitting!
There was a moment of semi-seriousness while I worked a little magic and her mom took some fitting action shots…
…then the smile was back!
We added the veil…
…and played around with fabric samples. So pretty…
We were both super happy with how things were shaping up, which means our mockup process was almost over. The next time Cameron would be in my studio, she’d be trying on her real overdress made out of our custom floral printed silk!
More Corrections
Once Cameron left, the smile didn’t leave my face. I had corrections to do! :)
Looks like I’m back where we started, but we’ve actually come a long way!
Next step, I’d be ordering the custom fabric from Red Canary to get started on the real dress. This beautiful mess will soon become a beautiful dress!
NEXT POST: Taking a slight break from this series, I’ll quickly share an article I just finished for Seamwork Magazine’s October issue. Then the blog will pick back up where we left off with Cameron’s custom overdress!
2 Responses
What an amazing talent you have and how beautiful the dress(es) you turn out! I am in awe…
Thanks Pat!