September 18, 2025

For many of us, there aren’t a lot of occasions that require something special to wear. We generally aren’t invited to large balls or extravagant charity events so it’s no surprise that when a special occasion does present itself, an occasion like a son’s wedding, we look into the closet and find that we have absolutely nothing to wear. The shopping excursions we force ourselves to make are fruitless searches for things that probably don’t exist. A fancy dress that we like, that’s comfortable, that fits and helps us put our best foot forward is some sort of sartorial unicorn that we’ll never find.

But sewing is magic.

Whenever I hear someone say that sewing is magic, I find myself getting a little defensive. Sewing is a skill that is earned over time through blood, sweat and tears. So many tears. And more blood than you might expect. Sewing implements are sharp. But then the garment is finished. The fabric is beautiful. The fit is spot on. The person wearing it has a smile and exudes a little more confidence. Even I can’t deny the magic in that. And so it was with this dress. It started out as an idea and ended up being the perfect thing to wear to a son’s wedding.

We started with Vogue 1737. It’s a beautiful pattern on it’s own but it still wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. She loved the neck detail, the short sleeves and the overall silhouette of the dress. We removed the waistband, changed the skirt pleats into seams and extended them into the corresponding dart or seam in the bodice. In the end, it’s a twelve panel dress that skims her body perfectly (she’s tinier than I am so the dress is pretty snug on the dress form).