The Lovely Flower Girls! (In which I recommend ALWAYS following your patterns)

Look how proud I am! You would never know the amount of sleep I lost over these dresses

Looking at this photo, you would think I have worked with silks all my life, non? All three of these dresses are silk, though only one of the patterns actually recommended it (can you guess which one). Because only an expert would throw caution to the wind (what does that cliche even mean?) and sew dresses from satin when they demand taffeta. If none of that makes any sense to you, just go look at the pretty pictures. Because this here is a cautionary tale on why you should always do what your pattern tells you (unless you like laying awake at night worrying about linings and such).

The answer to my pop quiz is the black dress pictured above: sewn from McCall's 4763, this pattern for a size 10 "junior bridesmaid" dress was meant to be sewn in something drapey like silk satin. And it turned out perfectly, though I did add an underling of black silk organza to give it just a little more shape. (Do I sound fancy or what?) I love this dress. It's so simple, but looked so lovely. And the green silk sash with the black was just perfect (I changed the sash from the odd little bow the pattern recommended, which looked dated). How cute is she?

 That flower girl dress, however, was meant to be sewn in something stiffer (Vogue 7819). But the bride wanted both girls in the same fabric, and I acquiesced. I should have followed the instructions because two weeks before the wedding, in a moment of weakness (and amid so much other chaos, I can hardly be blamed), I actually ordered this dress from David's Bridal, to be worn in the event that my dress didn't work out:

It's pretty much the same dress, though it's made from shantung, which is what I SHOULD have used in the first place. My problem was that the skirt of the dress looked lumpy atop the tulle layers underneath. Which, of course, it did, because it was silk satin, dummy. And if I had ever sewn with bridal fabric before, I would have known this, right? My last-minute fix was to create another lining atop the tulle, so that the top skirt lay nicely. It worked wonderfully, and the bride never had to know about the David's Bridal bag hiding in my suitcase:

Daddy and daughter = love

That look of determination is a result of jelly-bean-bribery

 Also, it should be noted: silk satin is a terror to hem. I did my best with a blind stitch, and nobody else seemed to mind. But let it be known: everything shows. Lessons learned: follow your pattern. Avoid satin. David's Bridal has cute dresses for just $40.