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interested in changing the colour , there are many ways of repurposing your dress , and I would encourage you to look beyond the traditional destination of old wedding dresses , the christening gown .
In the book , we look at restyling in several ways : shortening the dress to make it more versatile , making the most of the different layers within the dress , harvesting the fabric and making something completely different , and refabricating . This could be cutting it into tagliatelle and using it to knit , weave or crochet . The potential for patchwork is immense because the fabrics of wedding dresses are always so varied , and this creates the opportunity to make everything from garments , bags , home furnishings and baby blankets . My personal favourite projects for an old wedding dress include a lampshade , lingerie and even Christmas baubles .
Loving Your Dress
“ Our de-cluttering culture can sometimes make us feel at odds with our natural sense of nostalgia and our love of keeping things . You may feel your wedding dress is a treasure and something you would not want to be parted from , let alone chop up . You may have mixed feelings about your dress and your marriage , which may or may not be current . My book contains a wealth of information about caring for your dress , whatever its condition , as well as options for re-wearing it , donating it , selling it and passing it on to family members to be worn again , I specialise in re-modelling heirlooms .
Sustainability is well known to be an overused term and many of us feel its meaning has been diluted and confused . My mission is to bring some environmentally-friendly inspiration by celebrating the potential for bringing unused wedding gowns back into circulation , to keep them out of landfill , and to reassure the wedding dress lovers out there ( I ’ m a card-carrying member ), that it is not a waste just to keep your dress . I ’ d just encourage you to enjoy it , look at it every now and then , share it if you feel able to , and know that your personal history is safely locked in its fibres .”
Relovable – What To Do With Your Old Wedding Dress by Caroline Arthur is out now . Limited time special offer £ 39.50 ( RRP £ 55 ), including free P & P . Available at www . carolinearthur . com / shop
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