The Mother of the Bride

From the day my daughter was born I had dreamed of being Mother of the Bride, shopping for an outfit that would be unique and special as she is. What I hadn't planned on was that we would lose her dad and I would become Father of the Bride too. Although this should not have made any difference to the experience of finding an outfit, in my heart I was sorry that he wouldn't be the one walking her down the isle.

As a family we cruised, and Stuart my late husband loved to dress up as much as we did. One particular suit he purchased was untraditional in colour for a man (cream) but the style was amazing, and he wore this with pride. That was the one suit that I could never part with.

So begins the journey of my outfit…

*Photography by Simon Buck -* *https://www.simonbuckweddings.com/*

I loved the Veni Infantino designs using block colours, bringing it together with that special sparkle, and although in the beginning I hadn't planned to make my own, the seasons designs didn't reflect the colour theme of the wedding.

I scrolled the internet, visited shops, but with a palette colour of olive green it really was not happening, plus time was running out, along with 'did I really want a dress'. I love clothes (probably too much, 3 double wardrobes + 2 large suitcases under the bed), but I am most comfortable in trousers, and my basic staple and go too is a jumpsuit. (of which I own 10!!!).

Having made 6 individual bespoke bridesmaid dresses in material that has its own story of purchase and transformation (will save that for another time), I found that I had several meters over, and I truly loved the fabric, so why not use this, after all I am Mother of the Bride, so I felt I could get away with it.

The question of dress v trouser suit still kept me awake a night until I stumbled on a sewing pattern for a 2 block colour Jumpsuit, with a palazzo style trouser effect (my favourite cut & fit I have to say). The picture on the cover made it looked like a long floating evening gown, it was perfect, in fact I had one of those eureka moments. THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED.

So the journey had started, I had the green floaty material for the bottom part, but needed to purchase some cream material for the top. That's when it hit me. As Stuart couldn't be at the wedding giving his daughter away, then I could take a little bit of him with me. THE CREAM SUIT.

So up in the loft I ventured to retrieve the garment. Then I needed to clean it, now I know it said dry clean, but nowadays with the amazing new machines and the gentle detergent I thought in for a penny in for a pound. In the washing machine it went and to my relief it came out looking like new. Then came the hard bit, laid it out on the table to cut, I must have walked away from it a dozen times, then after giving myself a good talking too, I hit it with the scissors. Wow, that was a lovely piece of material, it was like cutting butter with a hot knife.

The final stage,. I wanted that bit of sparkle like the designers always use, so it was off to Goldhawk Road in Shepherd's Bush (living in Lowestoft, there really is no choice), which for a sewer is like Bees to a Honey-pot, absolutely amazing. I was hoping to cheat and glue it on, but, needing to apply an appliqué effect, there was only one thing I could do and that was sew it by hand.

To finish I hired one of the largest hats I could, who doesn’t love a large brim.

Passion project