Adding the lining to my wedding dress:

After quite a long procrastination period, I finally added the lining to the top part of my gown here is how:

I waited a while to put the lining into my dress because the task seemed so difficult but now it is done! I started by measuring and cutting the lining to be fitted:

(the lining is folded in half here)

I decided that I would attach the lining to the top of my gown first and then do the sides but then I realized I had made a mistake with the dress... I hadn't finished the edges before I gathered! : / ooops

 You can see that the edges are raw and fraying which simply will not be ok when I put the zipper on so...

I used a zig zag ladder stitch (I do not know what the stitch is actually called but that is the best description I can give) to finish the edges. This step would have been much easier had I remembered to do it before gathering because it would have been just two layers of fabric (the taffeta and the organza.) Since the fabric was already gathered, it was hard no to accidentally leave chunks of it out of the finishing stitch. You can see above that I used my all purpose foot because I thought it would be easier to keep the stitch close to the edge that way but it also made it easier for pieces to escape the stitch. I highly recommend a satin foot for things like this because that one does not have a gap which makes it easier to not leave chunks out and because a satin foot is the foot you use when working with this type of material. (duh Nicole!)...yea I just used the term duh!

Yay finished edges!

Now for the liner... Which I remembered to finish before attaching. (for that I used a good old zig zag stitch since the lining was thinner and my machine was unwilling to do any other stitch without making a mess of it)

Of course after finishing the edges of the lining I realized I could have just pinned it to the dress and finished and attached it all in one go, but I insist on working harder not smarter haha! 

To attach the liner I used what I will call a half ladder stitch (the one selected in the picture indicated by the little red light above it.) I put the right sides of the lining and the dress together and stitched along the top.

TA-DA! The lining is in...Sort of.

After this I decided that, I would just do a stay stitch along the sides to hold the liner and the dress together while I put the zipper on. The stitch for the zipper will also hold the sides of the lining and dress together. I have been pretty nervous about putting the zipper on the dress because I don't have a ton of experience with zippers... And so began procrastination phase 2!

SIDE NOTE:

While procrastinating I made a very cute fanny pack check it out!

Complete with a cell phone pouch and rings for keys (I seriously needed this for my dog walking job it comes in so handy)

And it was not completely to procrastinate, I practiced putting a zipper on!

I found that adorable bow buckle at Jo Anne's (where the heck else do I shop!?) I was worried about how long it would last because it is a clasp so I expected it to come undone on me but it has held up quite well! I keep so much stuff in the pouches when I walk dogs and I am still able to jog without being careful and the bow stays in place. I am super excited to make more! And it is swimsuit season I am dying to get my hands on some swimsuit material and create beautiful swimwear :)

Thanks for reading and HAPPY FRIDAY! May your weekend be filled with sun