BEAUTIFUL BRIDESMAIDS SOAKED IN CHAMPAIGNE

Champaigne... I know that just caught your attention. You were probably already thinking you too will start popping bottles since the saved Fashion Designer is now condoning alcohol-drinking. No dear, come back and renew your mind. Alcohol and Faith do not mix.  I am referring to the colour of the dresses I made for a beautiful Phumzile's (now Phumzile Ximba) bridesmaids; Mpho, Refilwe, Jabulile and Lucia. Yes I know there is non-alcoholic champaigne but it is called something else. Let us talk dresses now.

Phumzile was referred to me by my other client from where she comes from in Kwa-Thema. (My God brings people from far places to drive to and fro for my service. All glory to Him) Her husband Themba is actually the one who made the first contact via email and brought her for our first meeting. I was inspired by the love and excitement in this Godly couple. Phumzile showed the kind of dresses she wants me to make for her bridesmaids and the sample of the fabric.

It was quite  mission finding the exact colour as I had to go to a couple of fabric retailers to find it and finally found the fabric on my fourth trip. It was quite pricy and I had to buy the whole remaining fabric of the full roll so in case I have to change anything or run out I do not have to go back to the shop. Fabrics look the same from different rolls even if it is the same fbric and colour. The shade can be different. I also had to buy the chiffon for the over dress as per her design and this is well was pricy because it was not the dull-looking R30/m chiffon.

The dresses also required diamante motifs on the belts. Real diamantes were quite expensive at a cost of half the dress cost so I had to find something beautiful but not as expensive. This was another search adventure. I only got the right ones two weeks before completing the dresses.

It took me twice or thrice the time it takes me per dress to make each dress. The ladies came for their first fitting. I had to do a couple of adjustments. One of them, had just gotten married two weeks before fitting and had lost weight since the last measurements but when she came back for the second fit her dress was now small as she got her normal weight back. The other lady the top part of the dress was just not fitting like the other ladies' dresses. One could not come for her second fitting and the other one's dress looked like it was designed on her.  I changed the dresses from having zip up backs to loops and tie at the back.

I had to resize two dresses and make another top for the other dress. The ladies came back for the third fitting and only two dresses needed a last touch for a perfect fit. The last two ladies had to come back and were very happy. What I learned from  this work is that women's weight flactuate due to our hormonal changes (Phisiology Lesson 101). Another lesson is that women can be the same body and breast size but we are not shaped the same therefore the same dress will not fit the same on all of us.

Making dresses two months in advance is time consuming however the advantage is when you finish way before the wedding day you have time to do final and perfect aterations. Bridesmaids do not end up in dresses too tight or dresses in safety pins(the bridesmaids' worst nightmare). Brides must also consider different cuts or design for their bridesmaids dresses or go try on the same kind of dress they want to see if it looks good on everyone. I thank God for enabling me to get it all right with these dresses.

My thanks goes to God first and to Phumzile and her bridesmaids for being so patient, so understanding and full of peace. Their energy is remarkable as they left a godly presence and I was never tired to make and resize their dresses ever. It was a pleasure serving you ladies. May the Lord bless you all.