Some lovely friends got married. Marriage is wonderful. I like to support marriage by giving it handmade little things. Hopefully they hang it up in their probably very cute little home.
Yeah. I know You can hardly see the words. I understand. It was supposed to be that way….
If you want to make your own crafty hoop art, it is really easy. Just cinch it in tight and glue the edges of the fabric to the hoop inside. Tah dah! Bonus if you can beat my amateur word sewing skills.
Shannon
Okay, this is the last wedding post I’m sure. But I want to give you some story with it.
For those of you who didn’t know (you were probably at least guessing) I did make my wedding dress. If it weren’t for the neck line the actual sewing went relatively well. The timing was perfect because I had spent winter and spring semester working with Professor Burnham in various classes refining my sloper pattern (a basic pattern that fits all my own uniqueness). I spent a couple months making sketches and ordering swatches because I didn’t have an idea of what I wanted my dress to look like. I know, young, single, crafty and no idea what to do for her wedding?
When I was 16 I bought a wedding dress pattern on sale which I thought was perfect. I kept it around with me for years, anxiously feeling like I should of already started it because it was so huge. When the time finally came I decided it was not what I wanted. What I wanted was simple. Simple style, fabric, feel everything. Am I a simple person? Not really. Well, yes. It’s complicated. But let’s start out by making the point that I really like cloth and clothes, it seems silly to admit but it is an important aspect of my life--one that I’m almost always aware of.
I decided that my wedding would be the beginning of my new life. It would be the most beautiful day I was yet to experience, not to mention the sweetest, most important day of my life (it turns out it was) and I did not want to distract it with itchy, gaudy or uncomfortable clothing. I did not want to look at pictures of the day and see this fancy intricate gown, I wanted to see the beauty of the day, the newness, the excitement. What I thought I wanted wasn’t appropriate for how I wanted to feel that day. I’m not saying it should be like this for every lady, but it was for me. That being said--yes, I am a simple person.
The dress I designed had vintage elements. I wanted cotton because I have this snobbish aversion to 100% polyester for august afternoons (or most afternoons…), and because I liked the softness and lack of shine it had. I chose a sheer cotton voile for the top layer which had just enough sheen to be elegant, cotton broadcloth and a tissue-thin silk lining that kept me cool.The skirt was a complete circle. 6 yards of skirt X 3 layers= a lot of skirt. I scalloped the neckline and cuffed the sleeves. For fit I chose tiny pleats on the sleeve and bodice. My favorite part was the cotton lace I found at local shop Yellow Bird (which was a miracle, it took me a month online of finding nothing quite right). The dress was perfect, never have I had something fit so well (thanks Dr. Burnham), I could of worn it all day, and I feel that I was really able to create a wedding dress that showed the new beginning, the beauty and the peace that I felt that wonderful day.
And with that, some photos taken in November in a field next to my parent’s house in Toquerville, by a charming and ever talented brother-- Jason Malaska.
have a beautiful day
Thanks to all the help of my family I was able to have a beautiful reception. Again, without family who knew me so well I don’t know how well it would of turned out.
It was in the backyard of my most gracious uncle Merril, and the evening was a beautiful golden august one.
Making good cookies is in the family. My parents and sister spent hours making all the delicious cookies before the wedding. Our favorites were these lime shortbread cookies, which were made in lemon too. + pecan shortbread + coconut + chocolate chips. Of course milk was served also.
Our cheese fountain, which only lasted about a half hour.. but matched the theme.
Lovely Aunt Nicky was patient and loving to make this beautiful cake for us. I have never had someone get a color so perfectly by me just describing it to them.
We thought it would be fun to actually entertain our guests, so we set up a live music schedule for the evening (aren’t Mr. Woods Poster making skills nice?)
We even got in playing --“If I were a carpenter” by Johnny and June Carter Cash, and at the end of the night “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. Needless to say there were a lot of tears, and not just on my part. Thank you especially to our good friends Steve for playing the trumpet, and Christina for joining our whistling choir. And of course my beloved little brother for playing with us and practicing out in the yard despite yards of embarrassment he could have suffered.
The party was the best I’ve ever had.
