Quilt from a wedding dress....ideas?

[coffeebreak]

I have been carrying around my wedding dress for almost 35 years now. My daughter couldn't fit into it..well, she did just I was smaller in the back than she was but everywhere else it fit...okay, I admit it was cause she didn't like it! It is a southern belle style with long sleeves and a hoop skirt. I thought it was perfect...I didn't want a long train but wanted a afull skirt.

Okay, anyway.. its been in my closet in a plastic zipper bag and just has been carted around all athese years and 29 moves. So...any ideas on what to do with it? I was thinking when I bought it, that I could cut the skirt off and make it into a nice formal-wear skirt without the hoops, but that never happened!

I am HUGE on memories and keepsakes... what can I do with the dress in the quilting department? I don't know the name of the fabric style other than chiffon skirt and a sheer something fabric over that with the ruffle of the same. THe top is all lace..sheer in the arms but with lining in the bodice. Long sleeves, regular neckline.

I was thinking of just cutting it into maybe 6" squares and making charms out of it but that seems like alot of work for not much viewing pleasure since it is all white and no pattern to the fabric...other than the lace...and there is only the bodice of that so there isn't much of it to alternate lace square with solid square.

I have 4 grand daughters....I always thought I'd cut it up and make them pillows ...Pillows from Nanny (they call me Nanny!) But that hasn't happened. If I wait a few more years (well, hopefully a LOT more years) the 12 year old might beinterested in wearing it for her wedding, but I thihnk I'd better just find something to do with it now!

I also notice in the thrift stores they often have wedding dresses and other formals...if anyone has an idea they'd like to do with wedding dress style fabric...check your thrift store. I am going to do that next time I have the thought to make pretty pillows!

But...what about the dress? Any thoughts, Ideas or solutions?

[Bubby]

We had a similar thread just a few days ago and some of the suggestions included making: Keepsake quilt; christening gown; pillows; ringbearer pillow for grandchildren's weddings. I love the christening gown idea! Surely you will get a lot of creative ideas here.

[Klasien]

My mother in law made a very small copy of my weddingdress, she made a christening gown out of it, very beautiful!
But that is not much help.....your granddaughters are way past christining age.....
The thread Buddy talks about had some very nice pictures in it, but I can't remember witch thread it was.
I hope the lady that posted those will read this and post them again....

I wish you luck, and don't forget to post pictures when you start working on it!!!!!!!

[coffeebreak]

Baby things are done with. I have all the grand babies I will have. I can maybe make something for themfor their wedding days..ring pillow or something ilke that, but I'd rather make them (or me!) something to use now...that's why I was thinking quillt. Pillows for using won't be good as the lace/sheer fabric wouldn't be good for head comfort! I embelish something with it would work but not it alone. Plus.. I don't think any of the kids would want any one thing "made from Nannys wedding dress" so that is why I was thinking a little piece of it for each of them....

[Suzyq]

Hi! What about using pieces of,your dress in a crazy quilt which I only learned about from several wonderful ladies on this,forum... If the fabric is plain, it could be embellished with fancy trims, buttons, charms, etc... If u chck back under the " quilting questions" forum, you should find the thread I started and the great suggestions offered. Let us know what u decide to do...

[Cat n bull]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfifw...ure=plpp_video

check out the GORGEOUS quilts at the end of this video. Would be a perfect way to use a wedding dress.

[tfrankum]

I've seen people use the materials that would be used in a wedding dress to make the cover for a wedding album in a crazy quilt pattern. You could not only make one for your own wedding pictures, but any children getting married. Then it could be a keepsake for all of them.

[Claire Hallman]

Fantastic way to make a double wedding ring and that is surely on my bucket list. I see a new book/template in my near future.
Those quilts made for her daughters were gorgeous, too.

[Meli]

A friend of mine had this fantastic wedding dress. Sadly, her marriage didn't last. She didn't want to just pitch the dress, but had no real reason to keep it. She finally got creative and turned it into a tree skirt. I have a wedding dress that is never going to be used again (no daughters to pass it along to). It was hand-made by my mom and is just gorgeous, but I've lately been thinking of considering dismantling it and using the fabric in a quilting project. We'll see.

[ajs88]

I think it would be incredibly elegant to make a quilt from the fabric of dress but use lots of different blocks, a block of the month style pattern, and then use the quilting to emphasis the pattern of the blocks while retaining the simplicity of a single colour.