I sell Christening Gowns on Etsy and my "niche" is that I create them from the mother's (or grandmother's) wedding gown. I like this because it is a special way to use an expensive gown that will almost certainly not be used as a wedding gown in the future. Also, it helps that each gown is unique so then each project is unique. Keeps me from getting bored I guess.
Note in the picture it looks like the tucks on the bodice are uneven,
but rest assured they are all perfectly spaced and even!!
One lady wrote and asked me if I would make an ensemble for her soon-to-be-born son. The thing was, she didn't want to use her wedding gown. I told her, that's what I do. No, she wanted newly purchased fabric and lace. To further complicate matters, she was in Australia. Australia.
I tried to talk her out of it. I said surely there's someone in all of Australia that can make it for you? She said no, in fact, there wasn't. I told her it would be prohibitively expensive, as would the shipping (customs and all). She didn't care.
So, then we had to decide on fabrics. Most people who don't sew haven't a clue as to what types of fabrics are available, what's suitable for a particular purpose, or where to buy them. But she had an idea of what she wanted and I found it for her. Of course, all of this was done via conversations on Etsy (on Etsy they're called "convos") so it was a bit cumbersome and took some time.
The fabric is a beautiful sateen in a soft ecru color. I had used the same brand of sateen to make a dress for Journey and it turned out beautiful. Funny how using really good fabric makes a project easier to sew.
She also wanted a particular type of lace. I sent her scads of links to online heirloom lace sellers but in the end she selected something much, much cheaper. She had this "look" in mind and wasn't hung up on whether it was heirloom quality or not.
She wanted lace, but no ruffles or gathers. Lots and lots of tucks. She was very specific about the design, including how the lace trim was to be inset in the waist seam.
She had this idea of what she wanted and it turned out just as she had envisioned it.
