Calling all romantics!
First of all I do not sew or quilt BUT I would like to make a wedding dress for my future daughter-in-law. I was thinking that I could cut up my wedding dress and my mother-in-law's dress to form a quilt design for the skirt.
I need a pattern between 12 to 16 inches for the square but simple. In my research, I found the double wedding ring, the dresden plate, and the winding path.
Anyone with ideas on other patterns that we might try? Since quilts are so colorful, I have to work with different materials to create this dress instead; that makes it harder to find a pattern.
All ideas welcome!

Look here

http://www.quilterscache.com/QuiltBlocksGalore.html

This site has tons of free patterns indexed by size and marked by difficulty. You should find something you like.

Thanks! I will try anything and everything. At least I have 2 years to work on this!

What an awesome idea!!! Let us know if we can be of any help!!!
That is a great website, sooooo many block patterns!!!

OK, now I'm intrigued. Tell me more. Will the whole skirt be done from quilt pieces or just one block. Must it all be white or can there be some color?

If there is a long train, you might use a ready made dress and applique one great piece designed from your two dresses onto the train. Kind of like the cut work designs you often see.

There are great possiblities here............

Trust me, I will be back on this site often! Thanks for the interest.

My wedding dress was hand crocheted and weighed a ton. This one will be interesting.

What I want I can't find as far as a pattern goes so, I found Butterick # 5042 that will swirl the skirt around in layers for want of a better term. I want to have the quilt pattern in every other swirl. I think I will need 2 of them quilted. At least she does not want a train!
Next problem is that that pattern is the right pattern but the wrong size - not full enough. So that brings us to Vogue #2810. That skirt is perfect. Now I will be playing with the 2 patterns to come up with the final pattern of swirls so that I can make the quilt pattern.
I am playing with all my old material from around the house basting as I go!
I really want to keep it in shades of white.
It is bad because I can see it in my mind but getting there will be a major project.

I am hoping to make it special for her. I hate the idea of being the wicked mother-in-law! She is so perfect for my son and I want her to know I am VERY glad she will be in the family. I hope this does work!

I have made many formal dresses. It will be a big undertaking for a non-sewer. Not impossible but maybe difficult. Vogue patterns can be hard to follow if you don't understand clothing construction, so practicing is a great idea.

Post as many pics as you can of what you are thinking about so more people can help you. This may be a quilting board but there are several seamstresses on here also.

Your idea is a good idea, but I personally wouldn't even think about making a wedding dress without a lot of sewing experience. Sewing cotton is easy, sewing satin, lace, etc., aren't. It's doable, but not easily, in my opinion.

Oh, my! What an undertaking!!! You are braver than many of us, I am sure. I have no suggestions but would love to have up-dates as time goes by. Please post pictures as you progress!

I made my daughter's wedding dress from two patterns, but nothing quilted. I'll help where I can. The night before the wedding I wasn't happy with the detachable lace train that I made so I ended up crocheting 3 Irish roses to place at the top of the train....it was just what was missing.......LOL! That made the dress.

As a non sewer you are really setting yourself up for some nail biting. I made the dresses for my three grand daughters to wear in my youngest daughter's wedding. I used the simplist pattern I could find. I then made an overshirt of white lacy fabric for the little girls to put over their cherry red dresses. It was basically a big apron that tied with a bow in the back. If you did something like that using the other dresses to make the overskirt or apron you could use a very basic plain dress underneath. You might even make a detachable collar or shawl like cape if you wanted more at the top.

A wedding dress made by a novice sewer out of old wedding dresses with quilt block patterns would be my dream dress if I was a twentysomething. Just sayin.

What an undertaking.Keep us posted.

Wow, I wouldn't even know where to start. I bet it is going to be wonderful though.

For the Vogue pattern, I'd make the bodice as the quilted piece. Cut a muslin foundation larger than the pattern to crazy piece and embellish. For the Butterick, I'd make strips of flying geese as 2 of the swirls. They could even be embellished with lace, beads, appliques, etc.

It'll be a beauty - good luck!

I have made at least one of anything you can think of. I even now make my own bras. I made my daughter and my DIL wedding dresses, plus a one for a niece. I would use muslin first to try out the pattern. Satin is slippery so use lots of pins. Get the silk pins with glass heads. I have found them at Joann's.DO NOT mark with the air or water pens (blue or purple) On satin it runs and you have a hard time getting it our. Post pictures of what you are trying to do and I'm sure you will get more advise that you dreamt of. Everything is do able. When my students say something is to much of a challenge I tell them "it's like eating an elephant, one bite at a time".

How can I post the pictures? I am new to this site since I thought it would be the best place to get advise.

The basic Butterick skirt pattern is an easy one as is the Voque skirt. I believe is less is more when it comes to sewing. I basically have to readjust the two patterns to into one. The Voque pattern is the one I have to adjust and that is just 4 pieces that are triangles. The Butterick is also four pieces but they go to the side in the swirls. I was actually thinking of contacting McCall's for advise on this. I will be using a lot of throw away material but I hope it will be worth it!

Someone mentioned going onto quilters cache and I found the following patterns that might work. I am looking for simple patterns without a lot of pieces per square that will lend themselves to going in a line of sorts. I might be doing just the squares and placing a border around each one. I will really have to get the pattern so I know the best size square to use.

Calling for a vote as to which pattern might work best:
Ladies Aid Block
Attraction Block
Grandmother's Puzzle
Attic Window
and my favorite - Bouquet

Since you all know more then I do, please give me some advice. The swirls will be about 12 inches wide finished circling downward and around to form the skirt and of the 4 to 6 swirls only 2 to 3 will be the quilt pattern. I also have to remember that the material will be shades of white.

I will try to copy the Butterick pattern here so it will help you understand my idea. I am doing view D and remember I will be making the skirt way fuller and every other swirl will be a quilted section.

My advice:

Measure the person that you are making this for.

Pattern sizing may or may not match the sizing used for the ready-wear-garments that you buy and wear.

If using a Vogue pattern, believe the measurements given in the book.

Make a muslin (trial/test run garment) to check out sizing issues.

Good luck.

I will do that and thanks. Once I get her fitted for the Voque pattern I can then adjust the swirl to that. Knew you all would be a great help!

I am thinking the easiest would be a braid.

I love that you are wanting to take on such a wonderful project. However, the little "devil's advocate" flag started waving. :( Does your future DIL know about this project? I would hate for it to be a surprise for her... if she already has other dress ideas.

I agree totally - your future DIL has to be part of this process - or it could backfire dreadfully

First make the basic dress in inexpensive muslin using the pattern you selected. Dress patterns aren't always easy to follow or understand without experience. You can do all the fitting and alterations on the muslin dress, take it apart and use it as the pattern for the real dress. It will save you tons of frustration and heartsickness.

I want to see pictures!

I hate to throw water on your vision but seriously if you don't even quilt why the quilt blocks? If you've never made a quilt block out of cotton that behaves how do you expect to make them out of satin that doesn't behave.

If you've never sewn do you really think you can start off making a wedding dress and have it turn out gorgeous? Satin is difficult to work with. All but the simplest of wedding dresses are pretty much expert projects. I know a couple of seamstresses and the projects they hate more than anything else are custom wedding dresses.

How are you going to feel after you cut up two vintage dresses and end up with something she may not want to wear at all?

Here's something else to seriously consider, she may resent you for years and years if she feels obligated to wear something she hates.

A wedding dress is more than "just a dress."

Yes, I did tell her my idea and she is thinking. She would like to have the ideas laid out which is completely correct of her. I told her this is one of those times she is suppose to say "No thanks" and have no fear of me being upset. This is her time not mine.

This is a case of $12 on Mastercard for patterns, sharing history with your daughter-in-law, priceless!

I am glad you have talked about this with her. When I was doing evening wear, prom dresses, etc., (with lots of training and education behind me), I had more than a couple of brides bring me dresses that other supposedly "professional" seamstresses had all but ruined. Luckily, I was able to salvage the messes brought to me...and they were not always easy. As Scissor Queen said, satin is not for a beginner. After 25-30 years of working with "slippery" fabrics for evening wear, or lingerie, my suggestion would be to think about other options to include these dresses in making memories. Perhaps parts of each could be used to make a ring bearers pillow, pew bows, toss pillows for the wedding bed, or ???????????

Pzazz - I think you are 100% correct......... that is a big under taking I too am a garment sewer and I don't know if I would be cumfortable cutting 2 vintage dresses and then finding out it didn't work. What a bout buying a simple wedding dress and using the two vintage dresses to add a train to the all ready made dress.... think that would be more within the relm of things.......... any left over materal from the vintage dresses could be used for other special occasions like baptisms etc.
Well for what ever it's worth that is the way I would go..............
Scrap Quilter.

When I say "I'll think about it" - if often means, "I'd really rather not, but I don't know how to say 'no' gracefully"

Glad that scissors queen, scrap quilter and pzazz spoke up, I agree that this might be a huge undertaking that you might find overwhelming. Scrap quilter suggested making the train, that may be do able, also how about a simple purchased gown with the train or a quilted apron? Maybe set your sights on something simpler, even small bits of the dresses will suffice for the history. Another thing is her garter, lace from the dresses could be incorperated in her bouquet or the ring pillow. Love the idea of the lace bows for the aisle. Whatever she decides, she is going to be a beautiful bride.

I agree it is a huge undertaking. I have been making garments for more years then I care to admit. I support your decision, but if you choose to make something else might I add a purse for the bride? I have also seen some amazing wedding quilts made of all white. That might be a thought too.

Someone PM'ed me to see my crocheted wedding dress. Do you want to see it here?

Kwhite.............. would love to see your dress........ bring it on.

Do you think I would step on Meetingtogo's toes if I don't wait for her OK?

Where's the dress?