Dollar Store Wedding Dress

On a dollar store outing last week, I noticed some pretty drawstring wedding favor bags that reminded me of dotted swiss. This made me think of my 1950's childhood doll, Shelley, who I occasionally like to redress in period style and fabric, so I came home with . . .

two drawstring bags and a stack of tulle circles from the wedding aisle, a $3.00 investment for Shelley's elegant new wedding dress.


I snipped the knots off the ribbon strings and pulled them out to use for trim later, then cut down one side and across the bottom of each bag, leaving the hem intact.

I stitched the bags right sides together to form a circle, trimmed them to length,and applied the reserved ribbon over the seams to conceal them and add detail. I cut a two-inch deep slit in the top of the center back and made a narrow hem on the edges of the slit, then cut a strip of white satin scrap to the same measurement as the overskirt. I made a narrow hem along the bottom, and sewed a back seam, leaving a 2" opening to match the overskirt. Then I layered the overskirt on top of the satin and pinned them together top and ran a gathering stitch along the top.


The top was made of two scraps of white ribbon from my mom's ribbon and trim stash.The bodice is a folded and pressed piece of 2 1/2 inch ribbon cut to Shelley's chest measurement plus 1/2 inch for seam allowances. Sleeves are strips of 2" ribbon, folded in two along the length and edge-stitched. I marked the center front and sewed the straps so they cross at center front and extend to the far edge, then stitched along the pressed fold.

I put the top on Shelley and pinned the back placement of the straps, then stitched them on in the same way. I folded the bodice right sides together and stitched the back seams, then turned it right side out. I marked the center front and sides of the skirt and pinned them to the corresponding spots on the waistline of the top, right sides together, pulled up the gathers to fit, and stitched them together. Snaps are the closure.


For the veil,I folded one tulle circle in half and stitched around the edge with a gathering stitch, 1" from the edge, then pulled up the gathers to one inch in length. I layered two tulle circles and gathered straight across one end, 1" from the edge. I pulled up the gathering stitches to one inch in width, then placed the two veil pieces wrong sides together, matching the gathers, and stitched across, A little trim evened the ruffle.

Here is Shelley in her elegant new dress.She wears it with her full net slip, made from more of the tulle circles.She makes a lovely bride!