Picture this. It’s early 2021. Covid is at its peak. Mumbai’s on semi‑lockdown. Most people are working from home and businesses are shut. That year, my sister planned to get married around November. She’d been looking for a simple, elegant gown. But our shallow pockets deterred us from getting a professional designer piece. When faced with something like this, I usually tend to think “I can make that myself and save money.” This, dear reader, is my fatal flaw.
What follows might get a little technical for the uninitiated. I’ve tried to leave references as much as possible. So bear with me!
Sewing for Fun
I’d been learning sewing by myself, mainly from YouTube. As someone who is dismal at basic math and calculations, learning how to sew was challenging to say the least. It is filled with nuances. You need to be precise with measurements, have a good hold on calculations and obviously know how to handle a sewing machine well.
I’d wanted a sewing machine for the longest time. As a kid I used to get a kick out of hand‑stitching tiny clothes for my doll. That interest only grew with me and so did my desire for a sewing machine. In college, out of desperation, I’d gotten a cheap one off of one of those tele‑marketing channels on TV. Big mistake. It was tiny and hard to use and didn’t last for more than a week. I had to throw it away. sigh ₹2k down the drain.
Let’s do it! What could possibly go wrong?
That loss in college didn’t discourage me. The prospect of making my sister’s wedding dress got me excited. I wanted to give it a try and had a feeling I wouldn’t suck. We figured we would end up saving some money too. So sis got me a Singer sewing machine — the most basic one that cost ₹9000. I know what you’re thinking. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of our resolve to save money? Well it was meant to come in handy for years to come. I was going to be the seamstress in the family.
Options, Options Everywhere
So the journey began. First came learning how to work the machine. Turns out, using it needs patience which I was lacking the first time around. And there’s a slight trick to threading it. Got that down, thanks to the demo with the purchase.
Once the basics were clear, it was time to narrow down on the design. And boy were the options never ending. Sis couldn’t choose, nor could I. After months of indecisiveness, we finalized on a simple boat neck half‑sleeved dress with a chapel train . The torso of the dress had embroidery on it, which made the undertaking ambitious as ever. But I wanted to see this through. If it worked out, the result would be stunning.
So on we went to the next step — getting the fabric.
Mission: Finding Fabric
Ironically, we couldn’t find a lot of options for fabric. Crawford market in Mumbai is known for its variety but the pandemic had hit it hard. Most shops were closed. Trains were not open for everyone and we had to get cabs. This made traveling costly. Two visits — that is all we had to find something, which limited our options greatly.
On our second visit, I finally found fabric suiting our design — satin for the skirt, train and top and a soft cotton blend for the inner layer. We also got white lace for the top. We could’ve gotten better fabric at Bhuleshwar market. But like I said, traveling was costly. So we had to settle. At this point, the idea was just in my head. Making it a reality was going to be a heck of a task.
The Missing Case of Structured Learning
To get started on sewing research, I looked up a lot of reference videos. Making patterns , trains, boat necks, lace designs and so much more. I had to pick and choose instructions from several sources to end up with something that resembled the dress in my head. Problem was, picking and choosing created cohesion issues. There are varied approaches to sewing — some simplistic, others elaborate. I found myself following approaches that best suited someone with sub‑par math skills.
My initial search led me to pattern making. It involved a good deal of math and I found myself lost in a rabbit hole.
I had to start simpler. More localized. My sister suggested I take classes. Did I mention I am a miser as well? No? Well, now you know. The last thing I wanted to do was spend on something I can learn for free. But sadly, flying solo wasn’t working. So we found Mou in Kolkata who offered to teach me via video call.
The marvels of the modern world, am I right? I can learn from someone who is miles away, from the comfort of my home. Something that felt unthinkable about a decade ago (at least to me).
I learned the ropes from Mou and found myself getting less intimidated. She suggested tools I should buy, how to take measurements, transfer them onto the fabric and what to look out for in general. Calculations were still a doozy but I was getting the hang of it. Mou’s classes were during the weekends or at night after work. Handling a full‑time job AND classes was tough; there was double the bombardment of information, making my brain overload. But it had to be done. No two ways about it.
After I grasped what I needed from Mou for my dress, I went solo again. This time I knew how to work with fabric and had created a few designs which weren’t perfect, but definitely were a start.
Start Your Engines
November was inching closer and I had to begin on a demo dress. I grabbed all the old scrap cloth at home and began. I took my sister’s measurements, drafted a rough pattern and cut the fabric. The demo looked like a quilt — for the top, I used one of my mother’s old nighties and an old blanket and for the skirt, I sewed two different saris together. Yes, the train was that huge. It ended up looking like an outfit from patchwork fashion.
Initially, I put the zip at the side thinking it would look better. But when worn, it didn’t look great. The seams did not meet no matter what. So as a last resort, I switched to a back zip which seemed to work. By now, it was early September already. It was time to switch to high gear. The dress had to be ready by October.
The Real Deal
I can’t tell you how nerve‑wracking it was to cut the actual, pristine pearl‑white fabric. One mistake could ruin my sister’s day. No pressure! Gritting my teeth and praying to God, I began cutting. I cut the pieces out for the top first. The top had to be covered in lace, which I did not account for with the demo dress. That was a mistake. Adding lace took me a huge amount of time. I had to cut out the lace and sew them by hand. It took me 12 days to finish the top — front and back.
Time was running out faster than I could work and panic mode was setting in. In the chaos of it all, I forgot to cut the back of the top for the zip. I had already sewn on the lace. Cutting it now could unravel it. So I went back to the side zip plan.
The next step was cutting the train. Again full of nerves, I began cutting slowly and carefully. I joined the two back skirt pieces together and added lace to the edges. This was another lace addition I did not account for. I had to recruit my mom to help and finally finished this bit by the latter half of October. Time to bring it all together — the front and back skirt first and then the top. I put the side zip and made sis wear it and that’s when it hit me — side zips were not my thing.
I had to cut open the back to make room for the zip and sew up the sides. Thankfully the lace did not unravel and it worked out.
To avoid making mistakes this time, I did not do a final stitch but did baste stitches (loose stitches) by hand to see how it fits. It fit fine, so I made final stitches over the baste and cut off the seam allowance (excess fabric) to avoid lumps when wearing. Another mistake. It turned out to be too tight. What I’d not realized was the baste stretched when sis wore it and gave the impression that it fit well.
I had to painstakingly undo the stitching, sew on more fabric to the edges because I had cut off the excess like a moron and make final stitches again. This time it wasn’t tight, but the fabric was bulging at the sides. The very thing I was trying to avoid. Oh the irony. How does that saying go?
“One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it.”
Yeah something like that. Can’t believe a quote I first heard from Master Oogway actually applied to me. Like, damn.
Anyway, so sis and I thought I’ll fix the bulge around the wedding date since her waistline could fluctuate. I began working on the finishing touches. I sealed up all the loose ends, made a bejeweled belt for the dress and connected it to a ribbon that tied into a bow. We added pearls all along the zip line. Overall it began to look decent. I was relieved it was finally starting to come together.
Chaos Central
We weren’t out of the woods just yet. The big day was fast approaching — 20th November. Remember my fatal flaw? How I think I can make anything? Well that came to bite me in the rear again. In addition to the gown, I had not only taken up sewing my mom’s sari blouse for the wedding, but my OWN dress too. I had bitten off more than I could chew. And now with three different tasks at hand, I was working furiously and my sanity was teetering over the edge. Why did I take up the other two tasks? UGH.
I almost finished the gown and somehow wrapped up making my mom’s blouse (It wasn’t up to the mark 😣). Next came my dress. I had finalized on a design, but could not execute it. Long story short, it ended up looking like a school uniform. I absolutely COULD NOT wear something like that to my sis’ wedding. So I gut‑wrenchingly shelled out more money and bought a dress from the mall. Two days before the wedding. Yup. What can I say? It was all very messy. I’m a messy, indecisive person. shrug
In all that mess I tried to finish up sis’ gown best I could. The skirt seams didn’t look right to me so I spent some extra time folding and stitching them up. Horrifyingly, doing this made the dress short. It was not touching the floor when she wore her heels. I was devastated. I had already made so many mistakes and this had to have brought sis at her wit’s end. But she said it’s better this way, she won’t trip. I offered to re‑do it, but she refused.
I fixed up the bulges best I could, and the gown was finally ready for the big day.
Trial, Error, Learning and Growing
I’m going to be honest; the gown didn’t turn out stunning like I’d hoped. But it wasn’t BAD either. I was proud of the train and its lace work. It looked great. The length was a little short, but it made walking easier for sis. The sides still bulged as we tied the bow tightly. Sadly, it was too late to mend it. I could tell sis was disappointed. But she consoled herself. This gown was going to be worn only once. It’s not a big deal. I really admired sis that day.
Usually you expect bridezilla and sis was anything but.
I realized a lot of things during this undertaking. First, I have the best sis. I knew this already, but this task renewed my appreciation of her. She had every reason to blow her top, but didn’t. Thanks to her I’m exploring more and getting better and better at sewing. Secondly, there are a LOT of things I should do to avoid the same mistakes.
- Look for more fabric options if feasible. Don’t settle.
- Account for every single detail while planning for the outfit.
- Wear gloves while handling white cloth. They get soiled easily.
- DO NOT CUT OFF THE SEAM ALLOWANCE UNLESS YOU ARE COMPLETELY SURE IT FITS. This cost me dearly.
- Try on the dress repeatedly to see how it looks at each stage.
- Add more layers under the skirt to give it a little lift.
As I pen all of this down, I realize what a mess my fatal flaw created. But I’m glad it wasn’t a complete train wreck (pun intended). Sis liked the gown well enough to wear it on her day. I learned so much about what goes into making such an elaborate piece of work. Too bad it had to be on sis’ dress. I’ve gone on to make more outfits after the gown. We’ve also saved a lot of time and effort with altering clothes for the family.
As intense as making the gown was, it also propelled me further in my seamstress journey. You know that feeling of accomplishment you get when someone finds what you make useful? That is hard to beat for me. It gives me a sense of satisfaction that I rarely get from anything else. I think I am going to keep at it and chase this feeling.