A stitch in time, they say, saves nine. This applies pretty well enough to your precious wedding gown as well. Like any other outfit, your wedding gown might require a bit of stitching here and there right before the special day. There are many reasons why your wedding dress might require a bit of stitching. It’s not always an indication of something bad.
However, right before you stress about how to stitch your wedding dress, you might want to consider who would be doing the stitching. With tons of DIY videos all over the internet, it’s pretty convincing to want to do everything yourself, and stitching your wedding dress is no exception.
Here’s one thing to note before following the DIY steps. Sometimes, it’s best to get professional help, especially with something as vital as a wedding dress. To determine whether DIY stitching or professional help is the best option, here’s one thing to keep in mind. Whatever causes the stitch determines who fixes it.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Minor Tears
Wedding gowns are pretty prone to minor tears. It could be during fittings, right before the wedding, or even on the wedding day. Sometimes, these tears are pretty minor and could as well go unnoticed. In such cases, a quick stitch with a needle and a thread is enough to save the day.
Missing Buttons And Accessories
Wedding gowns usually come with many accessories, some more than most. You might want to stitch it right back when it falls off, especially if it comes off from a viral place. An example would be the front buttons needed to hold a part of the dress in place. In a situation like this, DIY is a pretty effective solution.
Spoilt Zipper
Wedding dresses are not designed as simple as other dresses we have. What’s more, they are not seen as easily either. There are peculiarities to sewing on even basic things such as a zipper to a wedding dress. Even with DIY help, stitching on a new zipper to replace a worn-out one would require experience.
Except you can find DIY help that specifically shows how to stitch on a zipper on a dress in the same style as your wedding gown, you might encounter issues along the way. Your best option would be to let a professional handle it. Some zipper repairs require the opening and closing of several seams. Trying to do it on your own might ruin the dress itself.
Customized Dresses
Another reason why you might want to stitch your wedding dress would be to add a few customizations to it. It could be a couple of ruffles here and there or maybe added accessories. The bride sometimes cannot find what she wants when going dress shopping. A few customizations are made when a close relative to the needed style is found.
Adding extra accessories, increasing hem length, reducing neckline, and even adding sleeves are some modifications to such dresses. However you look at it, stitching will be involved. Materials used to make wedding dresses are usually delicate and expensive, so to avoid ruining them, stitches are done for certain parts rather than machine sewing. For low risk and best results, let a professional handle the stitching in such cases.
Major Rips and Tears
Peradventure your wedding dress takes a major hit like a rip or tear around the hems, neckline, or any other obvious and vital areas, then a stitch is needed to restore it to its previous stunning glory. Most major tears and rips are beyond the help of a needle and thread. In such cases, a machine gun might be needed. In more complex situations, replacing an entire part of the wedding dress might be required to save your precious dress. A DIY, in this case, might only make things worse.
How to Stitch a Wedding Gown
While your best option would be to hire a professional, there are still certain stitches you can get done on your own. When looking to take care of minor tears and fixing back a few accessories, there are a few helpful steps to take not of for a successful stitch
Get a Sewing Kit
We do not mean to officially get a complete sewing kit to stitch up a part of your wedding dress. What you need to do is to have all of the needed materials for a successful stitch. These include a needle, scissors, thread, measuring tape, and a few accessories that might come in handy.
Have Extra Material From The Wedding Dress
Where there is a need to stitch on a covering on your dress or add on a little bit of extra material, you should have the same material used to make your wedding dress. Stitching on a different material might make your dress look worse than initially. It will also ruin your beautiful pictures. If you don’t, you might opt to tear off a little piece from a hidden area of the dress to help make the stitch.
Use a New Needle
Most wedding dresses are made from delicate materials like lace and net. When trying to stitch such material, extra care should be taken so as not to cause more damage to the dress. When stitching, ensure you use a new needle. Using rusted needles can damage the material and stain it, which is the last thing you want for the wedding gown. While there are various types of needles, the “sharps” are your best option. For your wedding dress, avoid large needles and go for a thinner one. They leave very little sign that a stitch just went through.
What Seam Is Best For Stitching A Wedding Dress
Your best option is the backstitch. It is much more effective and reliable than a running stitch and easy to use. It is a strong seam that can hold fabrics together. It works just like the running stitch but with a little reinforcement. To do the backstitch, you will need to run the needle and thread through the fabric up and down and ensure they are equally spaced. Then bring it back from under to the last stitch and again to the next stitch. While this might get messy, it is beneath the surface, so it does not exactly matter, and it worked pretty well. For a more invisible stitch, you can use the ladder stitch.
Hire a Professional to Help Stitch your Wedding Dress
Stitching your wedding dress yourself is only a good idea when the adjustment is passive. When a more noticeable adjustment is to be made, it is most advised to leave it to a professional. Some professionals specialize in wedding dress alterations and can deliver your dress just in time for the wedding. DIY stitching can be done for your other outfits and dresses.
However, it’s best to eliminate all odds for one as special as your wedding dress by leaving it to a professional. From minor alterations like fixing buttons and zippers to major changes like adjusting hems and neckline, a professional can help handle it. Let a professional worry about your dress while you pay attention to other essential things in the wedding preparation process.
