Too late to turn back...

I have started a new project. I'm actually pretty excited about it since it'll definitely be occupying my time probably up until the due date of July 16th. It's no small task and it won't make a difference in the world but I hope that it makes a difference in my friend Justyne.


First I need to say that David's Bridal really sucks. They have a bunch of people working there who have no actual idea of fit or function, they're just told to sell, sell, sell. They tack on one useless accessory after another and when they take your measurements almost always make you get buy a bigger size than needed so that they can alter it and charge even more money. It makes me super annoyed for people. Sure they advertise $99 gown sale but that doesn't include alterations, veil, etc. At some point peace of mind must be better than cheap dresses. I realize that most brides are on a budget but there's better quality on the Internet, or if your simple white dresses at Nordstroms.


Soooo back to the point. Justyne has never been a girly girl. Sure I've only known her for 3-4 years, but that's not my impression of her. She lives on a farm down in Franklin wear she plays with goats and cows and chickens and horses and all the normal farm life. I've only seen her in baby heels maybe twice and rarely in a skirt/dress and very little makeup always. So I was not surprised when she told me she bought her wedding dress when she has a break in between classes one day. She wasn't really emotionally invested in it like most brides, but that's not really her. She also got talked into a veil and a separate blusher (both are so stiff they can practically stand on their own), alterations (of course), and because they said it'd be an extra $300+ or so to hem it, she bought high heels. This is her dress.

All was said and done...so she though. When she got the dress back from alterations she could not fasten it around her neck or zip it up. When she asked about it the people at Davids Bridal told her she must have gained weight. IN HER NECK? IN LESS THAN THREE WEEKS? I have to admit when I got her dress I was curious if I could fit it around my neck and it was choking me. I bet Kahlua could wear it with ease. Anyway, instead of admitting any mistake they simply told her to lose weight or to cough up some more money for more alterations to let it out. Needless to say she wasn't impressed and instead of going another round she decided to sell it all on Craigslist. (They wouldn't take back anything, not the unworn shoes or still in package veil...NOTHING.) She had one girl interested but it didn't work out. Then she told me about it.


I've done things for people in the past. I've spent over 40 hours hand beading over 300 inches of english netting for a veil in a wedding I was in this past April. I re-inveted my bridesmaid dress as well. I can do the basic hem or take something in but I haven't worked from scratch since college. I'm up for the challenge and super excited about it. I would never do this for just anyone. I know that Justyne really doesn't care as long as she has something to wear. So yesterday I accomplished deconstruction. There's definitely no turning back now. In a little over two months I am going to transform her off the rack dress into a grecian inspired dress fit for a farm wedding.

But at this moment the dress look more like this....
Soon, hopefully I'll have more to show. I plan on spending today putting it back together! For now my purpose is to make Justyne happy and put her wedding back on track. No matter what happens in the future, it's definitely too late to turn back now!


If it's gonna happen sometime...Then why not now!