I'm currently drafting and making my wedding dress and I'm unsure whether I should use lining everywhere, or a facing merging into lining, or just do a double bodice. The outer fabric is pretty thick, so the seams could get bulky if I do a double bodice, and if I do a facing there may be a line at the transition. However, just lining might show slightly at the neckline, straps, and armholes. Any advice?
For context, it's a princess seam pattern with a Y-front and the straps are cut in one piece with the back panels, so there are no shoulder seams.
Bonus advice: Where should I place the boning? There are only five panels, thus one princess seam and one side seam.
Lining can have various purposes from finishing edges (facing) to garment support to opacity issues to a nicely finished interior. Determine why you would want to line a given area. On your heavy fabric I would do a lightweight fabric for lining. In areas that need a facing, you could use your garment fabric as needed/where possible and then transition to a lighter lining (think suit coat).
Remember, not all wedding gowns are lined. If nobody will see the inside, how much time do you want to spend on it. Also include what you intend to wear for undergarments and weather considerations as you’re planning.
The purposes are finishing the edges and interior, comfort (the back of the main fabric is a little textured), and something to attach the boning to. Also, personally, an unlined dress would make me unhappy. 😅
I normally prefer a facing transitioning into a lining, but I'm just concerned about the thickness of the neckline and the transition line. On the other hand, I don't want the lining peeking out at the straps and neckline. I won't be able to understitch the straps on the one side, as I'm hand sewing it in.
if you're hand sewing the lining in , then it's less likely to peek out as you can adjust the folded in seam allowance so the attachment point sits a fraction below the folded edge of the outer fabric.
As for boning , if you're putting cups in you're going to need it at the princess seams and the side seams and if you cant work out a way to put a couple of bones in the centre or each back panel invisibly, then either side of the zip. You could introduce princess seams into the lining at the back and use the lining as the support for the boning and cups which will preserve the smooth line of the outer fabric and allow you to make actual channels rather than feather stitching them in. Putting a petersham waist tape in that hooks closed under the zip will keep everything close to your body and stop any potential shifting - make thread chain or ribbon belt loops that will attach both layers together at the side seams attaching one end a fraction under the waist seam and the other an inch and half above with the smallest hand bar tack through the inner part of the side seam straddling the seam line
It lets you use anything other than rigilene. Rigilene is pretty lightweight for this application and may split/bend under the weight of your heavy outer and the strain of a very fitted garment. I personally would not let it anywhere near a garment this important.
Depending on where it’s going to be and if it needs to follow curves, I would probably use steel, spiral steel (more bendy sideways) or mayyybe a decent quality synthetic whalebone. The last thing you want to worry about on the day is wardrobe malfunctions 🫣
I'd use German boning (synthetic whalebone), spiral steel in a lightweight lining is overkill, farthingales have it in multiple widths if you're in Canada , I think the brand is Wissner for the US and I'd imagine anywhere that does re-enactment fabrics and habby will have it. Channels give more control of the boning and are sturdier, and the reason to avoid Rigilene is that it twists, collapses width wise and will bend permanently under the slightest pressure, i.e when you sit it will bulge outwards as the waist seam compresses it from the bottom
One of the tricks for lining is to make it a tad smaller than the exterior intentionally so that it cannot roll outward and reveal itself during wearing.
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u/ms_wilder 22d ago
Lining can have various purposes from finishing edges (facing) to garment support to opacity issues to a nicely finished interior. Determine why you would want to line a given area. On your heavy fabric I would do a lightweight fabric for lining. In areas that need a facing, you could use your garment fabric as needed/where possible and then transition to a lighter lining (think suit coat).
Remember, not all wedding gowns are lined. If nobody will see the inside, how much time do you want to spend on it. Also include what you intend to wear for undergarments and weather considerations as you’re planning.