Lace Leotards & Tulle Skirts
I met one of my closest and dearest friends my freshman year at Notre Dame. And now over 7 years later, we were reunited on campus (at the Sacred Heart Basilica) for her wedding.
It was an absolutely beautiful ceremony and I was thrilled to have been a part of her big day!
Last spring, she asked me if I would make 3 flower girl dresses for her wedding. Despite having little experience in children’s clothing, I took the offer and figured it had to be easier than women’s clothing. But little did I expect to learn so much during the process. This is not a bad thing, in fact I’m happy to have learned so much along the way!
My friend wanted the flower girl dresses to have full champagne tulle skirts, cream lace (long sleeved) tops, and maroon/red sashes.
This past summer, I kept my eyes open for lace, but I didn’t start the project until I received measurements in late September.
When I started making mock-ups and shopping for fabric, I started think: Can I make leotards with lace? The girls should be able to get in and out of the dresses easily. Can I find a beautiful lace that has both ease and beauty (most stretchy laces are knit and can look pretty casual)?
Ultimately, I decided to have the girls wear lace leotards with tulle skirts. I figured this would be the best option for making dresses for girls long distance (sizing would not have to be perfect). Also, the leotards would be more comfortable for the girls and the mothers wouldn’t have to fuss with tucking in tops all day.
After searching all over the web and area stores, I found the perfect lace!
Tulle Skirts
After nailing down the leotard design, I began the tulle skirts.
I found a really good deal on a bolt champagne tulle. I was excited because it looked like a great price and the exact color we were looking for!
UNFORTUNATELY, some things are too good to be true! The tulle fabric was really thin and looked nothing like the champagne color online (see the photo below)! Despite this, I tested the color and tulle by cutting a few layers of tulle and gathering the ends (see below).
It was not the color tulle my friend envisioned. Instead, I used tulle I found at my local fabric store.
THE SASHES
The bride wanted the sashes to match the bridesmaid dresses.
The bridesmaid dresses were back ordered and didn’t arrive until a couple weeks before the wedding, so I didn’t start the sashes until a week before the wedding. Luckily, I had no problem finding fabric that matched the color and fabric of the dresses!
One side of the sash was a burgundy matte chiffon (same fabric of the bridesmaid dresses), while the other side was a burgundy sateen fabric.
I couldn’t have been happier with the final dresses! They really looked cute on the girls and went really well with her wedding!
I shopped for the fabric & sewed the dresses, but this was my friend’s design. And therefore, I have to give her credit for designing these adorable dresses! This is only a glimpse of how beautiful the ceremony was and I wish I had professional photos to share with you!
Shop similar lace leotards on my (shop here for the new ones) Anagrassia website or Etsy