18/08/2026
✨ When a dress needs more than just a few alterations… ✨
The beautiful lace bodice on this dress has been quite the project!
The bodice is made from delicate lace over three layers of n**e tulle, and before I can even begin the other major alterations, I need to make sure the bodice has the structure and stability it needs to hold its shape.
That means carefully securing all of the lace details onto the layers of tulle — and this is where my trusty Janome sewing machine comes in!
🧵 I’ve lowered the feed dogs and changed to a darning foot, allowing me to use free-motion embroidery to stitch the lace securely into place.
Having many years of experience with free-motion embroidery really helps with a job like this. It allows me to move freely across the fabric and secure a large area of delicate lace without restricting the movement of the material.
There’s still plenty more work to do on this dress, but getting the bodice right at this stage is essential before the rest of the alterations can be completed.
It’s definitely not a case of simply taking a dress in or letting it out — sometimes there’s a lot of skill, patience and careful planning behind the finished result. ✨
