Hand Embroidery and Applique on Kate Middleton's Wedding Dress & Veil
I honestly didn't expect to cover any of the details of Kate Middleton's April 29th wedding to Britain's Prince William, but couldn't resist adding a few words about her wedding dress, which was designed by Sarah Burton at the British label Alexander McQueen (a much-loved designer who committed suicide shortly after the death of his mother in 2010).The dress was made from ivory and white satin, with a skirt meant to resemble an opening flower. The ivory satin bodice is narrow at the waist and padded at the hips, with 58 silk and organza covered buttons on its back. The dress's underskirt is made from silk tulle trimmed with Cluny lace; the train is over 4-1/2 feet long.
Quilters will appreciate the craftsmanship of the Royal School of Needlework, who worked with the design team to cut out and apply each rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motif from lace fabric.
Royal School of Needlework members who worked on the dress included current and former staff, tutors, graduates and students (the youngest was 19 years old). They pinned the shapes in place and then appliqued them to the fabric with hand stitches taken every 2 or 3 millimeters. Workers washed their hands every 30 minutes in order to keep the materials absolutely clean, and needles were changed every three hours to prevent snags from a dulled point.
Miss Middleton's veil is made from ivory silk tulle trimmed with hand-embroidered flowers, another task completed by the Royal School of Needlework.
I've heard that some members of our quilting community have made wedding gowns for family members, many with embroidery or quilting of some type. I encourage anyone who has made a hand crafted dress to submit photos of it for our galleries.
Page 2 - A close-up photo of appliqued lace along the bottom of Kate Middleton's (now Duchess of Cambridge) wedding dress.
