Stitches and Stuff: Bridal veils
Monday, May 12, 2008 11:42 PM PDT
By Melisse Laing
For The Daily News
Printable version
E-mail this articleIf you have a June bride in your family, as we do, sewing a veil is the easiest part of her wardrobe and costs a fraction of the price of ready-made veils. I made Kristy’s from 72-inch-wide polyester illusion netting, which is softer than tulle and readily available in fabric stores. It comes in white, diamond (or bright) white and ivory. We chose white to match her dress.
The veil can be made any length. The traditional, shoulder-length veil is 24-inches; cathedral length is 126 inches.
The appropriate length is determined on where the veil will be attached, the gown design and how formal the wedding will be. We decided on a traditional two-layer veil attached toward the back of her head with a comb, with the edge of the lower layer falling between the rows of ribbon on her dress.
To make a double-layer veil, lay out the netting on a flat cutting surface. Cut it to the length of both layers added together. Our measurement was 48 inches – 25 inches for the lower layer plus 22 inches for the upper layer plus 1 inch for gathering. Fold the netting in half and then fold it in half again so all four corners meet. Use pattern weights to hold the edges in place.
We wanted the corners to have a gentle curve, so I used a dinner plate as a marking tool. Then I cut through all layers at one time with a rotary cutter, which is much easier and smoother than scissors.
Fold the veil horizontally on the line that divides the two layers. Mark the line with hand basting. I tried pressing the line and using chalk, but the basting is easier to see when sewing. Open the netting at the fold and machine baste two rows on either side of the marked line, about 1/2 inch apart. Also stabilize the corners by machine basting 1/2 half inch from the edges.
The edge of the veil can be finished in several different ways — from simple to elaborate. A pencil edge is made by using a narrow rolled hem on a serger or sewing three times around with a 2-mm wide zigzag with a 2 mm-long stitch. Double-sided ribbon is another popular edging choice. The wider the ribbon, the harder it is to ease around curves. Other choices are embroidered or pearl trimmed edges. In all cases use a sharp 70/10 needle and lightweight matching thread to apply the trim.
We decided on a narrow, white rattail cording. I zigzagged it to the edges if the top side of the bottom layer and then to the top side of the top layer using a fine white cotton/polyester thread in the bobbin and shiny polyester through the needle. A zigzag width that just covered the cord and a longer length looked the best. Be sure to make a sample first.
Gather the netting by pulling the bobbin thread on the two gathering stitch lines. Knot the threads on each end to secure the gathers at the desired width, and then stitch across the gathering twice to secure. I hand-stitched the veil to a silver comb, available in the bridal departments of fabric and craft stores.
It was a one-afternoon, easy project that have our bride looking very special.
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