Wedding Bells Are Ringing....

In Tennessee where my sister is contemplating her upcoming (As in, sometime in the next five years) wedding! She has seen some of my sewing work, little of it that I wear, actually, and was asking me about dress style. So of course, off I go to look at wedding dress patterns from the Big Company's, Simplicity, Vogue, McCalls...

... wait. Where are all the beautiful dress patterns? Four or five per company?

For some reason I imagined page after page of dresses from all sorts of desires, spannning the globe. I dont know why I thought that I find that, but I was sadly, sadly mistaken.

I know from experience (A year being the obediently button-buttoner, zipper-zipper-er, dressing-helper for my Bestie when she was working on finding her own gown flowing white.) that the average bridal salon holds really rather... nothing. Row upon row of sleeveless gowns, this one ruched, this one pleated. This one is an escapee from the nightgown aisle mascarading behind a fake mustache of sequins. This one is a prom dress on steriods. But despite the range from scanty to voluminous they all seemed quite cookie-cutter. I orginally took this to be because they were all, let's face it, wedding dresses.



Is it just me? Four different waistlines, four different fabrics, all... the same? (This selection was randomly snatched from google.)

Anyway, my next thought was to check out vintage wedding dress patterns.

It was here, in this holy google search I found myself.



I dont know if its just the rose colored glasses but my heart stopped when I saw this. The simplicity! The elegance! Princess seamed to flatter, long sleeved, modest neckline and my god! That 80's design that I grew up coveting; those little pointed sleeves above the middle finger. THAT IS A WEDDING PATTERN!

So I began looking, and lusting and looking.

 

I was in awe. Where are these kind of dresses, when my friend was looking? My inner female, all about the ruffle and the lace and the poufy bell skirts is screaming and dancing around. If I ever get married it'll be in one of these babies. (Or a batman wedding dress, but thats for another time)

Anyway, during my week of lurking and drooling I found myself drawn back to that very first design. I loved the idea behind it, the elegance and ease. I imagined it in a smooth, cool cream, with a subtle sheen. But it was 35$. 

Most patterns for sewing range from 3$ to a lot more. However, rarely will anyone who is in the know ever by a pattern at full cost. Instead, we wait for the 99 cent sales and buy in bulk. I would never pay more than 5$ for a pattern from the new books. A vintage, almost one of a kind pattern? Maybe 10$ but 35$? With current money issues... no. No thank you. 

But I couldn't help looking at it, again and again. 

What would I do with it, if oportunity came knocking? Well, obviously marraige for myself is not exactly forthcoming. (I am a bit of a commitment-phobe... dont tell no one) but I make 18th century gowns and its not likely I am going to be able to attend 18th century England any time soon, right? I would LOVE to create this wedding gown, if only to be able to make something that lovely. Also, this pattern can be tea-length and short sleeved. I would totally rock something like that, daily. 

So I was pretty down about some personal issues when low and behold what do I find on Ebay?

THIS PATTERN!!

How much? 

9.99$$$$$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But wait... THE PATTERN WAS NO LONGER UP FOR BIDDING AS OF TWO DAYS AGO!!!!!!!! 

Finally, when my weeping subsided into soft, sad gasps, I noticed something. 

'No bidders' 

........

Wait. Did that mean that no one bid? That no one WON? That the pattern was still... available? I sent the poster a message and crossed my fingers. 

Why, yes! She did have the pattern, uncut, size 18 and the Buy It Now option made it 15$

BUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I bought it and began to think. Am I the only one who is in love with these patterns? No, can't be. Something this beautiful can't be only MY obsession. 

But thoughts of my future sewing vintage wedding dresses will have to wait. Right now Im priming my hideous lime green crepe backed satin to turn it into a wedding pattern and NO ONE CAN STOP ME!!!!