Wedding Blog

Source

But the problem was that the dresses would have come from a discount online retailer that does not provide fabric samples! (Note: Avoid anything too shiny, sexy, or trendy if going this route, because the cheapness, I imagine, would be obvious.) I was almost fine with it—tossing the dice on the color—because I liked the empire waist and the soft, drape-y crepe fabric. BUT, I had second thoughts last weekend when I visited my mother, who, from the very beginning, offered the option of making the BM dresses for us.

So, we went to a couple fabric stores. The first was G Street Fabrics, a regional chain, I believe. They had a good selection, but the prices were between 15 and 30 dollars a yard and I didn’t see the blue-ish green that I’d envisioned. And at 12 plus yards total, the girls would be better off buying their dresses…

But wait! Mom knew of this GREAT hole-in-the-wall place (an amaaaaazing secret find) where, instead of paying $20 a yard… I paid $2.50 a yard. You heard me, I said TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS A YARD! And this was good stuff. AND… I found THE EXACT COLOR CREPE that I’d been thinking of, but didn’t think existed without a special order or an additional digit added to the price. I’m not sure how they make any money! Perhaps it’s the tiny, tiny space, stuffed to the gills with fabric and notions! There was barely any room to move!!! I found it ridiculous and charming all at once! There was seam tape from the fifties and sixties,

and a bunch of vintage machines, thread, fabric, and zippers… just all thrown about!

I don’t think the shop owner knows what a gold mine he has. And that’s just as well. A young woman looking for crafting, Etsy-type stuff, and I, both agreed that this little fabric shop is the best-kept secret in town! Here are some shots of the store, and some of the notions, including cups for the tops of the dresses (to prevent the cliched wardrobe malfunction), some almost-matching zippers, cream-colored crepe lining, and the PERFECT COLOR OF ROBIN’S EGG CREPE. It was so cheap that I bought the entire bolt of fabric! I love these finds!

It was utter disorganization, yet the shop owner and his helper seemed to know where everything was. And that’s perfectly fine with me. All told, I purchased everything, with tons of extra fabric to spare (I could probably make five dresses) for less than $100!!! And, I can now avoid the awkward conversation on who will pay for the bridesmaid’s dresses…

Have you or someone you know made bridesmaids dresses?  How did it go?