My grandmother said she would sew bride’s maid’s dresses for me if I found the material and pattern.
There’s the problem.
Is there anyplace online that I can buy/DL wedding patterns? I’ve looked, but I’ve been unsuccessful.
Also, if there are any Bay Area dopers knowledgeable in this area, I would appreciate any suggestions for where to look for and buy patterns and materials. I’m pretty clueless here.
Thanx for the help.
Have you tried good ol’ walmart?
I know it sounds terrible cheesy, but Wallyworld carries McCalls, Butterick and Simplicity patterns - standard sewing fare. They’ve just got heaps of wedding patterns.
Also, do you have a ‘craft store’ near you? One of those places with fabric and paint supplies and all those stupid fake flowers? We have one called JoAnne’s and they really have a great selection of fabrics. Satins, velvets, silks - all sorts of fancy stuff. You could probably find somewhere online to order fabric, but I don’t know if it would be any less expensive or better quality than what you’d find at a fabric store. Plus, at a regular store, you can touch it. Some of that bridesmaid/wedding dress stuff looks good but feels awful.
Don’t worry, if you find a pattern that you just love at Walmart, you just don’t tell anybody 
.
Oh, and congrats!
Have you tried http://www.sewingpatterns.com/bridal.html ?
BTW, I bought the pattern for my wedding dress from the local fabric store!
There’s a JoAnne’s near me, and they’ll special order fabrics and such, particularly fancy stuff. They’ve got an assortment of pattern catalogs, too. Check out the ballroom dresses as well as the gowns in the bridal section.
Incidentally, if you want to get brownie points from your grandmother, ask her if there are any companies whose patterns she really likes or - more importantly - really strongly dislikes. Then, of course, try to make your purchase accordingly.
I know that can sound silly to people who don’t sew, or who only sew a little. But after a while you find some patterns, and more importantly some instructions, suit your style better than others. It’s a personal decision; I like Burda patterns, for example, which drive other people to distraction.
Any fabric store will sell patterns, and all the major pattern companies make a decent selection of bridal and evening stuff. I’d start there. Anyone who sews is familiar with the pattern layouts and techniques of these companies, so these will be easier than trying to get a pattern from a specialized boutique pattern maker. You should also check the pattern with your grandmother before finalizing–some things are harder to do than others, and any seamstress knows from looking at a pattern if she can successfully do what’s required.
Walmart, as someone else mentioned, sells patterns for 50% off retail. They don’t carry Vogue or Burda or Kwik Sew, but I’m not sure how much wedding stuff the latter offer anyway. I know my mom has always found Vogue to be more challenging, anyway, so I’d be checking out the other three major companies (Simplicity, McCalls, Butterick) first.
Here is another idea, one I’ve seen several brides do successfully: They chose the fabric, then let each bridesmaid choose the pattern she desired for her dress. The bride had final say-so, of course, but each girl chose a dress style that she liked, felt was flattering, etc. In the one wedding I attended, the bride chose a lovely blue linen, and then two of her attendants chose short dresses, two of them chose long, but it all looked great (they had similar silhouettes and necklines). After seeing that, I realized that there is something sorta odd about seeing all these people lined up dressed in completely identical outfits. When else in life do we strive for that? 
My input for this is to say, “Make sure your grandma is working with patterns that fit the girls in question.” For example, Simplicity and McCalls and Butterick all have slightly different sizings, so if the girl is not a “standard” dress size, that is, if her body doesn’t conform to what Simplicity and McCalls and Butterick THINK a Size 10 ought to be, then the dress won’t fit right. It may even be too big or too small, by as much as a whole dress size.
See what I’m saying? Just because a girl tells your grandma, “Oh, I wear a size 12” doesn’t mean that a Simplicity or McCalls or Butterick size 12 is going to fit her. I’d hate for Grandma to get the dresses all done and then not have them fit. And having “fittings” won’t help much if it’s going to be off by a whole dress size, because the pattern pieces are shaped differently, tapered and contoured, for the different sizes. It’s very difficult, practically impossible, to take apart a basted dress and recut the pattern pieces to fit a smaller size. Also, if you’re dealing with an expensive silk or satin fabric, it doesn’t take well to manhandling like this, all that pinning and unpinning and repinning. You get holes in the fabric, and sometimes the pieces stretch out of shape beyond fixing.
What I always do, before embarking upon a Huge Party Dress project with expensive fabric, is to make the pattern up in a plain cheap broadcloth, or even muslin or sheeting material, just to make sure.
But then, I’ve never volunteered to make all the dresses for an entire bridal party. Sheesh. Your grandma must love you a lot, girlie.
And I’d second what Flodnak and Cranky said, about asking Grandma whether she prefers one pattern-maker over another. They all phrase their instructions differently, and sometimes they leave steps out because they assume you already know to “baste this before you stitch it”. Vogue and McCalls used to be terrible about this, which is why I sew almost exclusively with Simplicity.
One other thing: Even a Simplicity pattern will look fantastic if sewed by a competent seamstress. But even the most expensive custom-designed Website pattern will look totally sucky if it’s sewed by someone who only sews once a year, or who only makes doll dresses. It’s a question of finish–it’s the care that a good seamstress puts into the details that makes the difference between a dress that makes people ask, “Gosh, where did you get that dress?” and a dress that makes people ask, “Who made that dress for you–your grandmother?” See? How good a seamstress is your Grandma?
Hurrah for your grandmother (and remember, she is doing you the favor, be sure to reciprocate in some major wonderful way!)!
I agree with what has been said before, and to add my two pennies worth:
** Check JoAnne’s for sales on the patterns - I’ve found the Simplicity patterns as low as $.99 on sale, and the Vogue patterns as low as 75% off (and you bet yer butt I stock up on them, even the ones that are not my size!). Burda is harder to find, but be careful with some of the older ones; IIRC, they did not include a seam allowance - the edge of the pattern was the edge of the pattern, period.
** It takes a lot of time, but muslin mock-ups of each dress are a good idea, to check for fit and such, especially before cutting into the dress fabric.
** Check the fabric and make sure you have enough! Dye lots can vary tremendously, and a reorder can be a couple shades off from the 1st bolt purchased.
** If you are going to have one style of dress, remember everyone has a different body shape (not every woman is the slim Erte-esque model on the cover of the pattern) and you may have to do a lot of adjusting: I, for example, am short (not petite) but have longer arms, so sleeves tend to ride up on me.
** Ditto with the color - I look hideous in most shades of yellow, but can get away with a soft gold, whereas a friend of mine can wear fluorescent safety colors and still look terrific.
** I have not seen one woman that looks good in a dress with a BUTT BOW!! (I swear they were invented by a deranged bride.) Keep this in mind if you want to keep your bridesmaids as friends.
Another thing about sizing that I’m sure your gramma knows: off the rack sizes are not the same as real sizes. With vanity sizing running rampant in clothing stores, never completely trust what someone says is their size. example: my pants and skirts are all size 2-4, yet all my dresses are 6, while my shirts are all over the place from XS-M…
so go by what the size reference chart on the back of the pattern says, and then subtract appropriately. McCalls always, in my family at least, runs about 2 sizes too big. Butterick tends to be only one size too big. But this only works because I can reduce the bust pieces more easily than enlarging the hip pieces. Besides, considering the number of pieces required that go into a bridesmaid dress, there should be many places to customize the fit [ie: smaller size piece for the bust or hips and a larger size piece for the hips or back].
your gramma will probably make a mulsin mock-up for for the dress, but that can be alot of work if you have more than one dress pattern. The pattern pieces can always be held up to the person to check size.
I can’t be called a seamstress, since I’m not a woman. I’m a man, so I guess that makes me a sewer. 
WalMart has good prices, but they may not have a wide enough selection of the sorts of things you’ll need. JoAnn Stores is the only nationwide chain of fabric retailers that I know of, but there are a number of regional chains and independent fabric stores that are even better, IMO. Jo-Ann’s website is http://www.joann.com/index.jhtml They have many locations in the Bay Area.
I would very strongly recommend taking your grandmother with you to the store, if she lives nearby. Otherwise, you might want to visit the store and ask for help. You could order online and have the materials delivered to your grandmother if she doesn’t live nearby. But I’d be leery of buying fabric I hadn’t seen with my own eyes.
Disclaimer: I own stock in Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. However, I rarely shop there because other stores usually have better prices on the sorts of things I buy.
One more caveat:
Whatever material you purchase - WRITE DOWN THE LAUNDERING INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE STORE! (Few stores will let you take the paper core the fabric is folded around. Even more important if you are ordering on-line!!!)
- Some is washable (and it’s best to wash the fabric BEFORE doing any cutting).
- Some is dry-clean only but can actually be washed.
- Some is dry-clean only - no ifs, ands, or buts.
- Some must be dry-cleaned BEFORE cutting (gets rid of excess dye and gives a better body to the fabric).
Be very careful with the bargain fabrics (especially at Wal-Mart) - the $1/$2 a yard stuff. Some is actually pretty good (and may be an overrun from a larger order, but not able to be re-ordered) - sturdy, good body, consistant dyeing. Some is just plain crap - miswoven, bad dye lots, fabric so thin it has only one side to it, prone to pilling. It’s a gamble. IMHO, stick to the ‘average’ priced fabrics - this is not the time to try the bargain stuff.
Also, stick to solids or very simple patterns - this is not a time to be mucking about matching plaids, stripes or intricate patterns (I can’t stand to see mismatched fabric stripes or patterns on clothing, especially on the seam lines - my personal pet peeve).
Keep the dresses simple both in dress pattern and fabric pattern. Remember, accessories are readily available - a nice pearl or rhinestone necklace and earrings set, fancy buttons, scarves, or contrasting trim can really set them off (and can be removed or changed for more or less formal occasions later). If it’s a dress style your bridemaids can use later, they’ll be grateful, especially if they are fronting the money for the material and construction.
biliophage - ‘sewer’ - that is soooooo cute! 
Thank you everybody for your great advice!
There is a Joann’s close by, I just went there the other day. I have to admit, I felt more than just a little overwhelmed.
My grandmother lives in Utah, and she won’t be able to come out for about 9 weeks or so. I wanted to have the patterns and fabric chosen and paid for before she comes out (Pending on her approval, of course)
And I definitely planned on choosing a dress style that can be used after the wedding.
I think I’m going to save all these replies and print them out for future reference!
You guys are the greatest.
If you have a choice of material, be sure to ask the fabric store owner for advice.
Many poly satins, for example are nearly impossible to alter because they get runs when the seams are pulled out.
Also, some materials are very hard to clean and bridesmaids dresses are often so clumsy to walk in that girls spill things, drinks or flower water, etc. at the rehearsal.
If you don’t find what you need, try Britex in downtown San Francisco. HUGE store, covers everything - when I got married we found everything we needed there. If you need directions, drop me an email… it’s close to BART
RE: pattern sizing.
These pattern companies can be really whacked out, I tell ya. I find that often you need to buy sizes that are one or two sizes larger than what you wear in ready-to-wear. I think it often depends on the cut of the garment. On a loose flowing sack kind of dress, you will probably end up getting a size or two smaller than your RTW size. But if it’s a fitted-lots-of-darts-and-seams kind of dress, you may need to get a size or two larger. This is my bit of wisdom, from my personal experience. YMMV. The thing to try to do is to get one of those patterns with multi-sizing on them (several cutting lines.) Then one will probably be the correct fit. Also, a lot of patterns have the actual hip and bust garment measurement printed on the pattern piece (and sometimes on the pattern cover or instructions.) THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, IMO. If your bridesmaid knows that her hip measurement is 38 inches, for instance, she needs to use a pattern size that allows about 40+ inches in the hips. Same with bust, etc. Whatever size that is - even if the dress size seems waaaay off. Dress size numbers mean almost nothing (IMO) with patterns. Go fig.
Also, as others have said, check with grandma before even BUYING the pattern. Look in a pattern book, write down pattern numbers, give her these numbers so she’ll have an idea of what style you’d like. I tell you, sometimes a “little detail” on one pattern can be absolute HELL for a seamstress. Picking an almost identical style without that one stupid detail can save hours of sewing time and headaches. Your grandma might even be able to pick out “just” the right pattern (that makes both of you happy) herself if she knows what you are looking for.
Also, some quite simular styled dresses can have vastly different yardage requirements. Keep this in mind. I am the Queen of yardage savings. I have made a fine art out of saving yardage on certain garments, and choosing patterns that save yardage. Some dresses can take 3 yards to sew, other dresses can take 5-7 yards to sew, and they won’t look all THAT much different. Things like sleeves, the fullness of the skirt, can make a difference with how much yardage you will need to buy. If you can, try to balance your preference for a certain style of dress with what amount yardage it requires. OH MY GOSH. That fabric expense can add up.
[the entire population of the thread rises to its feet with a roar of acclamation and gives Screech Owl a standing ovation]
HUZZAH!! HUZZAH!!
[caps are thrown into the air and a brass band begins to play]
[fireworks]
[screeching halt]
::wipes Earl Grey with honey off the monitor::
::stands to acknowledge the cheers of the populace::
::sputters meaningless drivel (and dribble) in shocked gratitude of observation::
::returns to typing::
DDG - Please don’t catch me off-guard like that! I’m running out of Kleenex!
[/screeching halt]
Her regency dress pattern is beautiful, very simple and elegant.
And she has loads of pattern links and sewing and such.
Tell her Kathi sent you, Jennie’s a real sweetie!
We chose the fabric, and let the female ‘attendants’ (not all on bride’s side) choose their patterns, and either make them or have the dresses made by someone else. My dress was made by my husband’s great-aunt, who is a retired professional seamstress (it looked great, needless to say!).
Lessons learned:
Get fabric that grease stains come out of - a little butter creme frosting on a nice poly shantung, and bye-bye dress, no matter how re-usable the style. If you don’t know for sure, ask before you buy.
Having two colors for the ladies to pick from was nice, for all concerned. (The redheads picked the green, the brunettes picked the blue.) But make sure you also have bouquets that work with both colors. (We used peach flowers for the redheads, and deep pink for the brunettes.) I’ve also seen nice weddings with the same pattern of dress for each, but a different color for each bridesmaid - all colors that work together (like burgundy, forest green, and navy, or peach, gold, and french blue, or a range of pinks from silver-pink to magenta, and so on).
There was one person in our group whose mom made her dress, and did a fairly half-assed job of it. I wish I had been able to hire one seamstress, but the attendants were coming from all over the country. Having one person make them all is really great. Thank your grandma a LOT, and also ask the photographer to take a picture of you (and spouse) with the bridesmaids AND grandma (then buy a big print of that picture, and give it to her in a nice frame with your thank-you!).
Re-wearable dress designs are in short supply in bridesmaid patterns. Check out the formal wear patterns, and also some of the business wear patterns! The most re-wearable dresses of the ones we ended up with were either less formal or very tailored and business-like. Even then, the re-wearing is limited. Don’t gush about how often they’ll be able to re-use them, because most formalwear just doesn’t come out that often… express hope they’ll get a few other uses out of them, then leave it at that. Or don’t worry about whether they can re-wear them, but pick designs that will make them look good and will work with what you want the wedding to look like. In the end, the photos of the wedding will last longer than the re-wearing potential of the dresses. If they look great, they’ll appreciate the dress for years longer than they have it in their closet.
Congrats!
Ah…at my gramma’s, up in the attic toy trunk in the spare room, we have about four bridesmaids dresses that belonged to my aunt, and my cousins and I would use them to play dress up. THAT is what bridesmaids dresses are good for!