Messed up my dress, can it be salvaged?

JoyfulMom · 07-11-2014, 06:50 AM

So I bought this really cute summery fabric for the burdastyle cap sleeve dress with gathered skirt. It took me a while to figure out how to turn the bodice lining correctly, but I did it. Trouble is,I don't have an invisible zipper and I don't know how to add a zipper that will allow the dress to go over my head. It needs to be in the side seam of the skirt and the bodice. Any one have experience with that? I will have to use the seam ripper without messing up the gathered area. This was my first time using a burdastyle pattern, and they do not have clear instructions.

ETA: I may end up losing all this fabric, bc it will basically have to be deconstructed. :-(

WanderingJuniper · 07-11-2014, 07:04 AM

Oh that stinks. I hope there is some way you can at least salvage some of it. I've personally found burdastyle patterns really frustrating.

JoyfulMom · 07-11-2014, 07:11 AM

I don't know if I will ever try another! I really want a tea dress, but I can't find a decent one here.

Amy
~A Joyful Mom~

RooMama · 07-11-2014, 09:47 AM

can you post a link to the pattern? maybe if I can see a picture, I can help brainstorm.

JoyfulMom · 07-11-2014, 09:58 AM

Sure.

http://www.burdastyle.com/pattern_st...sleeves-022011

Thank you

Amy
~A Joyful Mom~

knitlove · 07-11-2014, 10:07 AM

I don't have an amazing answer but I am praying you can get it to work.

Sparrow · 07-11-2014, 10:10 AM

I can't sew to save my life but is it worth it to take it to a professional seamstress to fix?

JoyfulMom · 07-11-2014, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparrow

I can't sew to save my life but is it worth it to take it to a professional seamstress to fix?

Sadly, no. It's not in my budget at the moment. :-(

Amy
~A Joyful Mom~

WanderingJuniper · 07-11-2014, 11:08 AM

Looking at the dress is there anyway you can add a back zipper instead? That would be so much easier than a side seam zipper. Although if you don't have an invisible zipper I'd wait to do anything until you can get one. Even in the back a no show zipper would feel and look nicer.

allisonintx · 07-11-2014, 11:20 AM

Ok, let me get this right. You've sewn the whole dress together and any place you out in a zipper, you will have to tear out a seam?

I have a few solutions but I want to understand your situation better.

JoyfulMom · 07-11-2014, 11:29 AM

Yes, the dress is sewn. I totally forgot to add the zipper in the side seam of the skirt. I should have put it in the back, but to save fabric and time, I cut the back on the fold, because it was a suggestion. Never again will I follow suggestions, at least not until I am better at this. Now that it's done, I'm not completely in love with the bodice fit, so I suppose it isn't a total loss. I can use the skirt fabric to make cute shorts for one the girls.

Amy
~A Joyful Mom~

rosesnsnails · 07-11-2014, 12:49 PM

If you use a regular zipper, you wouldn't have to rip the seam until you installed the zipper. Is there a side seam on the skirt that lines up with the bodice? If you want an invisible zipper, you will probably have to rip one side seam.

JoyfulMom · 07-11-2014, 12:55 PM

Yes, there is a seam that lines up with the bodice. The bodice is lined, so the seam has no raw edges on it. Could I just put the zipper there? I have seen lots of cute tops that have exposed zippers. This one matches perfect in color. Wait. The bodice has a lining, but the raw edges are between the layers so that wouldn't work. (Scratching head trying to picture how I could do this)

Amy
~A Joyful Mom~

rosesnsnails · 07-11-2014, 01:06 PM

Can you get up under the lining? If not, it might not be bad to go through both bodice and liner fabric just to save the dress. You would have to make sure that everything was lined up.

I would probably rip out any stitching holding the lining down, install a zipper in the side seam, tack the top and bottom to secure it, hand sew the lining to the back of the zipper, reattach the lining, and rip the bodice seam that has been replaced by a zipper. Follow?

If you really want an invisible zipper, you could rip the side seam all the way from a few inches of the skirt all the way through the sleeve and install the zipper. You'd have to detach the lining on that side first and then reattach it later.

Sparrow · 07-11-2014, 02:32 PM

From my observation visible zippers are sort of in. It might give the dress a vintage feel, KWIM?

07-11-2014, 06:50 AM	#1
JoyfulMom Rose Bouquet Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi Posts: 550	Messed up my dress, can it be salvaged? So I bought this really cute summery fabric for the burdastyle cap sleeve dress with gathered skirt. It took me a while to figure out how to turn the bodice lining correctly, but I did it. Trouble is,I don't have an invisible zipper and I don't know how to add a zipper that will allow the dress to go over my head. It needs to be in the side seam of the skirt and the bodice. Any one have experience with that? I will have to use the seam ripper without messing up the gathered area. This was my first time using a burdastyle pattern, and they do not have clear instructions. ETA: I may end up losing all this fabric, bc it will basically have to be deconstructed. :-( __________________ Amy, wife to awesome hubby since 1991. ~A Joyful Mom to six blessings~ Shelby~21 Breanna~18 Madison~16 Christopher~12 Emma Grace~10 Jenna Kate~7

07-11-2014, 07:04 AM	#2
WanderingJuniper Rose Garden Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 10,819	Re: Messed up my dress, can it be salvaged? Oh that stinks. I hope there is some way you can at least salvage some of it. I've personally found burdastyle patterns really frustrating.

07-11-2014, 07:11 AM	#3
JoyfulMom Rose Bouquet Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi Posts: 550	Re: Messed up my dress, can it be salvaged? I don't know if I will ever try another! I really want a tea dress, but I can't find a decent one here. Amy ~A Joyful Mom~ __________________ Amy, wife to awesome hubby since 1991. ~A Joyful Mom to six blessings~ Shelby~21 Breanna~18 Madison~16 Christopher~12 Emma Grace~10 Jenna Kate~7

07-11-2014, 09:47 AM	#4
RooMama Rose Garden Who am I? Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 4,377	Re: Messed up my dress, can it be salvaged? can you post a link to the pattern? maybe if I can see a picture, I can help brainstorm. __________________

07-11-2014, 09:58 AM	#5
JoyfulMom Rose Bouquet Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi Posts: 550	Re: Messed up my dress, can it be salvaged? Sure. http://www.burdastyle.com/pattern_st...sleeves-022011 Thank you Amy ~A Joyful Mom~ __________________ Amy, wife to awesome hubby since 1991. ~A Joyful Mom to six blessings~ Shelby~21 Breanna~18 Madison~16 Christopher~12 Emma Grace~10 Jenna Kate~7

07-11-2014, 10:07 AM	#6
knitlove Rose Garden Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Seattle area Posts: 21,260	Re: Messed up my dress, can it be salvaged? I don't have an amazing answer but I am praying you can get it to work. __________________ Wife to a wonderful DH for 19 years. Momma to my 29 weeker Early Bird who is thirteen and my little Wiggle Worm born 33 weeks who is nine. How do I have a teenager?! I don't feel ready for this.

07-11-2014, 10:10 AM	#7
Sparrow Rose Garden Immerse your soul in love. Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Victoria, BC Posts: 17,609	Re: Messed up my dress, can it be salvaged? I can't sew to save my life but is it worth it to take it to a professional seamstress to fix? __________________ Manda Mama to: Bear 16.75 Funny and Tender. Larger than life. ENFP Max 14 Affectionate and Spirited. Artist Chickadee 8! She's Sunshine and Song. Born in the caul We have a fur baby. A cat called Charlie

07-11-2014, 11:08 AM	#9
WanderingJuniper Rose Garden Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 10,819	Re: Messed up my dress, can it be salvaged? Looking at the dress is there anyway you can add a back zipper instead? That would be so much easier than a side seam zipper. Although if you don't have an invisible zipper I'd wait to do anything until you can get one. Even in the back a no show zipper would feel and look nicer.

07-11-2014, 11:20 AM	#10
allisonintx Rose Garden Some Cal/Mag will probably fix that. Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: catching up on the laundry Posts: 41,294	Re: Messed up my dress, can it be salvaged? Ok, let me get this right. You've sewn the whole dress together and any place you out in a zipper, you will have to tear out a seam? I have a few solutions but I want to understand your situation better. __________________ allisonintx Wife to Stephen Mother to Elizabeth 19, Andrew 17, Abigail 14 & Evelyn 12 Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take a boat in the air that you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turn of the world. Love keeps her in the air when she ought to fall down. Tells you she's hurting before she keens. Makes her a home. . . . . . . .

07-11-2014, 11:29 AM	#11
JoyfulMom Rose Bouquet Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi Posts: 550	Re: Messed up my dress, can it be salvaged? Yes, the dress is sewn. I totally forgot to add the zipper in the side seam of the skirt. I should have put it in the back, but to save fabric and time, I cut the back on the fold, because it was a suggestion. Never again will I follow suggestions, at least not until I am better at this. Now that it's done, I'm not completely in love with the bodice fit, so I suppose it isn't a total loss. I can use the skirt fabric to make cute shorts for one the girls. Amy ~A Joyful Mom~ __________________ Amy, wife to awesome hubby since 1991. ~A Joyful Mom to six blessings~ Shelby~21 Breanna~18 Madison~16 Christopher~12 Emma Grace~10 Jenna Kate~7

07-11-2014, 12:49 PM	#12
rosesnsnails Rose Garden Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 7,632	Re: Messed up my dress, can it be salvaged? If you use a regular zipper, you wouldn't have to rip the seam until you installed the zipper. Is there a side seam on the skirt that lines up with the bodice? If you want an invisible zipper, you will probably have to rip one side seam. __________________ Jen Wife to J since 1994 Mom to J since 1998 Mom to J since 2000 Angel Baby Joshua Aaron 2003 Momma to J since 2009 (born 11 weeks early) Using my favorite smilely as often as I can, Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done-C.S. Lewis-from a letter To Mrs. L.

07-11-2014, 12:55 PM	#13
JoyfulMom Rose Bouquet Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi Posts: 550	Re: Messed up my dress, can it be salvaged? Yes, there is a seam that lines up with the bodice. The bodice is lined, so the seam has no raw edges on it. Could I just put the zipper there? I have seen lots of cute tops that have exposed zippers. This one matches perfect in color. Wait. The bodice has a lining, but the raw edges are between the layers so that wouldn't work. (Scratching head trying to picture how I could do this) Amy ~A Joyful Mom~ __________________ Amy, wife to awesome hubby since 1991. ~A Joyful Mom to six blessings~ Shelby~21 Breanna~18 Madison~16 Christopher~12 Emma Grace~10 Jenna Kate~7

07-11-2014, 01:06 PM	#14
rosesnsnails Rose Garden Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 7,632	Re: Messed up my dress, can it be salvaged? Can you get up under the lining? If not, it might not be bad to go through both bodice and liner fabric just to save the dress. You would have to make sure that everything was lined up. I would probably rip out any stitching holding the lining down, install a zipper in the side seam, tack the top and bottom to secure it, hand sew the lining to the back of the zipper, reattach the lining, and rip the bodice seam that has been replaced by a zipper. Follow? If you really want an invisible zipper, you could rip the side seam all the way from a few inches of the skirt all the way through the sleeve and install the zipper. You'd have to detach the lining on that side first and then reattach it later. __________________ Jen Wife to J since 1994 Mom to J since 1998 Mom to J since 2000 Angel Baby Joshua Aaron 2003 Momma to J since 2009 (born 11 weeks early) Using my favorite smilely as often as I can, Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done-C.S. Lewis-from a letter To Mrs. L.

07-11-2014, 02:32 PM	#15
Sparrow Rose Garden Immerse your soul in love. Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Victoria, BC Posts: 17,609	Re: Messed up my dress, can it be salvaged? From my observation visible zippers are sort of in. It might give the dress a vintage feel, KWIM? __________________ Manda Mama to: Bear 16.75 Funny and Tender. Larger than life. ENFP Max 14 Affectionate and Spirited. Artist Chickadee 8! She's Sunshine and Song. Born in the caul We have a fur baby. A cat called Charlie

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