It’s been a while since I discussed the wedding.
On August…I wrote about cutting out my daughter’s wedding dress. If you remember, I briefly mentioned that I was ‘injured’ in May, I’ll admit, I skipped a few details. I had a broken right patella and left humerus. Those fractures left me unable to drive, sew, sit and stand for any length of time for six weeks. And the recovery was not instant, it has taken weeks and weeks of therapy to get my range of motion back. I’m almost there! Needless to say, I felt the pressure of the impending wedding over the summer months. But I made the deadlines and the bride looked beautiful. And, most importantly, she loved it!
In upcoming blogs, I will share the details of making the dress and adding the personal details such as an embroidered ribbon stitched to the hem of the lining documenting the couple’s names, wedding date and location and a label stitched to the waistline with an heirloom ring from her paternal grandmother.
The couple was set on a destination wedding and chose Kauai as the location. Hawaii was lovely, truly magical. We had a small group of family – twelve in all – who made the trip. Playing in the surf and relaxing for five days in the warm sun was a delightful way to wrap a wedding ceremony with love and memories. I enjoyed greeting each morning’s sunrise from this perch.
I have never seen my daughter as happy as she was on her wedding day. As her mother, it was the most comforting moment. You can see for yourself how happy she is. My husband Pete and I shared a moment of joy with the happy couple right after they exchanged vows. 
Once back in Texas, we braced ourselves for the next event where 80 guests- friends and family – joined us to celebrate the nuptials. With just ten days between our return from Hawaii and the reception, it was a whirlwind. We had a blast, danced the night away and saw the couple off under a shower of sparkling lights.
After it was all over, I felt like this:
Eileen & her sister Liz Scully wrapping up the wedding weekend.
Here’s your assignment this week:
Have you ever felt a moment of relief like this? Leave us a comment telling us how you celebrated a big accomplishment and one of you will be randomly selected to win a $20 gift card to Designs in Machine Embroidery!
The winner of the last assignment answered the following question:
Do you stitch for charity? and if so what items do you stitch?. We’ll pick a random winner here next Wednesday. If we pick your name, we’ll set you up with a Be the Difference Foundation design pack!
The winner is:
Sara Redner: “I joined the Church quilters group to send quilts to underprivileged countries. Also, after a friend going through cancer treatments was given a hat at the clinic, several of us have gotten hat patterns to make hats for the clinic.”
22 COMMENTS
Lorraine
9 years agoI made my youngest daughter’s wedding dress while I was living in Texas and she was in Utah. Made the dress out of Muslim and sent it to her. Everything fit. She then changed her mind on the top style that was in the pattern. So I changed to that top and made her dress. We took her dress to Itah with us. She tried it on and was falling out of the top. It was an off the shoulder style. This was the day of the wedding. I was panicking and everyone in the house decided they had better leave so they finished picking up the last minute items for the reception. When they got back I had finished the alterations and we all got ready for the wedding. I felt as Eileen did after the reception was over!
Barbara Stack
9 years agoI feel for you Eileen I just today had epidural for spinal stenosis But my big day was when my daughter married She wanted to plan it all by herself She did Flowers (Not real but beautiful Magnolias for her bouquet and the bridesmaids She wanted to keep the and use as arrangements in the home ) Photographer and Church and reception at our local Country Club Her grooms family all live in Louisiana So she reserved our best in town Mexican Resturant months before the wedding for the grooms rehearsal dinner So it was all set So about a week before the wedding she went to check on the dinner Well the Resturant moved to a newly built home In the move they lost the “Reservation calendar She came to me in tears “Mom it too late to find another place” So I offered for them to have it hear at our home We just happened to have a very large enclosed porch She said”mom Oh! thank you! So it went on as planned with Don the groom barbequeing that morning and everyone else helping After all it was a family thing
The morning of the wedding day we went to check on the Country Club and it was so cold in there Seemed 30 degrees Just before the wedding that night I got laryngitis and could not talk
I was so tired but so HAPPY! for my daughter We now have a 20 year old grand daughter in second year in college and 18 year old grand son a senior in high school Don has a son doing so well working in INVESTMENTS Thanks Eileen for letting us share
Belinda Germain
9 years agoYears ago, My daughter was invited to a Prom. But all the dresses she liked were way above our budget so I asked her to choose her favorite dress and I would find a pattern similar to it and make her one instead. She was very apprehensive and worried that all the girls would tease her for wearing a homemade dress. Our worries were dispelled when everyone loved her dress! The other mother’s were wowed too!
QuiltShopGal
9 years agoCongratulations to the Newlyweds and the proud parents. Sounds like a wonderful wedding. This inspires me to share my wedding story….
My husband proposed walking on a beach in Hawaii and we were married in Hawaii, a year later. It was a secret wedding, which friends and family were not aware of. We mailed out wedding announcements right after we were married. Had plans to host a party, upon our return. But efforts to combine households impacted our celebration plans (obviously we had not pre-planned everything to well, or it would have happened). As we are approaching 30 years of happy marriage, I’ve still never had a wedding cake or official Honeymoon. Now planning a big celebration. But all weddings and anniversaries should be celebrated, regardless if they are small or large celebrations they are special.
QuiltShopGal
http://www.quiltshopgal.com
Joanne Banko
9 years agoMy heartfelt congratulations to the Beautiful Bride and Handsome Groom! You have accomplished many, many wonderful and important things Eileen . . . Dressing your daughter in a custom made gown and seeing her happily married is truly a momentous accomplishment and cause for great celebration!
Celeste B
9 years agoWhen my daughter got married, I made her gown, the three bridesmaids dresses, baskets for the flower girls, runners for the tables and then small purses for the bridal party. The day of the wedding we also had to set up the barn where the reception was going to be. I was so glad to finally get to the church and just enjoy the rest of the day.
Shirley Clark
9 years agoI’m sure the wedding was beautiful in such a beautiful place! Her dress looks great too!
I’ve never made a wedding dress, but I’ve made many things that certainly qualify for a “sigh of relief” when they were done.
I made my prom dresses in high school during Home Ec. class, and I made a lot of little girl pageant dresses which was stressful sewing for other people. I’m always happy to be done with every project especially if they have taken a while. As I get older, it takes me longer to finish things, but I’m still trying!
Shirley Clark
9 years agoOh, I guess I lied! I made my own wedding dress, but it was a very, simple, short dress. LOL
Michelle H
9 years agoCongratulations to your daughter and new son in law and to you on getting the dress done. I recently made flower girl dresses for my nieces wedding this July. the trick to this was the 2 flower girls ages 18 months and 5 years were not arriving from Australia until 3 days before the wedding so there was going to be much time for adjustments. My niece had seen dresses that she liked that were more than she wanted to spend so we used those dresses as inspiration. We started with Lace tee shirts, add tulle skirts with flower petals caught in between the layers of tulle with stain ribbon flowers and a bow at the waist. They came out adorable and I breathed a big sigh of relief
Susie Mackenberg
9 years agoCongrats on your daughter’s wedding — she looks so much like you! You must tell us what you did to break your leg so badly, poor thing. Anyway, I have felt relief many times because I have a big mouth and seem to never be able to say “No!”. This last weekend, my granddaughter celebrated her 5th birthday and somehow I ended up making fairy princess dresses for her 4 best friends invited to her party … and their little sisters and family friends … 11 in total. AAAAHHH! It was a blast, and so much fun, but was I relieved when everything worked out o.k. Grandma Susie rocked it (thank goodness!)!!
Sara Redner
9 years agoThe wedding dress is beautiful, and I hope they will always be as happy as they are in that picture. I’ve never really been under pressure with a sewing project, but I did agree to bake and decorate a wedding cake – ONCE! Of course, I saw every little mistake, but the bride and groom were happy with it and the guests all said it was beautiful. I felt like I was under so much pressure that I NEVER want to do that again!
Darlene Bares
9 years agoI have a problem saying no. So when someone asks me to do something whether its sewing or an embroidery project. I’m burning daylight because most of the time it’s last minute. I just enjoy the feeling of accomplishment and seeing their faces when its done. That’s enough for me.
Saundra Romanus
9 years agoRight after I bought my machine my daughter talked me into making 45 embroidered hand towels with ice skates and name on them. She is a skating pro and the towels were for her students. I only had two weeks and I wasn’t too sure how to use my machine. I learned FAST! I was really glad when they were finished! (Only ruined two!)
Martha Morgan
9 years agoThe biggest for me was – after working all day and putting myself through college at night, just having it finished. I just didn’t know what to do with my first weekend without homework! So glad that was over! Now I could go back to all of my happy hobbies.
Ivalyn
9 years agoShe looks stunning!!! She’s your twin! Glad you’re on the mend.
ksews
9 years agoI haven’t ever made a formal or wedding gown, although my daughter wanted me to make hers. However, she wanted it to be exactly like the one she wanted, down to the $80.00/ yard lace! I told her to buy the one that was perfect, because what I could make would not be, and she was not going to let anything be changed. However, at two am the day of the wedding, I was still up hand sewing in substitute sleeve headers that were not “scratchy” in all the six bridesmaid’s gowns and the wedding gown. Don’t know why they couldn’t have mentioned it sooner!!! The day of the wedding, I was tightening my daughter’s bodice(off shoulder style) up until they came to get me to walk down the aisle.
Her bodice didn’t fall down and no bridesmaid itched/scratched during the ceremony, so I guess it was a success, but I was a bit nervous that I was going to delay the ceremony.
Doreen Linehan
9 years agoI sewed all the tablecloths for my son’s wedding. It was a narrow rolled hem using the serger. Which I was new to using. The tulle was special order in salmon and didn’t come in until close to the wedding. Cutting to size was challenging due to the slipperiness of the fabric. I was very nervous because it was for their wedding and they are both very picky. However she was very pleased. So all was well.
debe
9 years agoI made my own simple wedding dress that wasn’t much, but I made my daughters like a dress she saw in a bridal shop. She was getting married the middle of March & all I’d done before Christmas was get the muslin made as I was making my own pattern. She told me her fiance was getting worried the 1st of Jan that the dress wasn’t done or even started. She said she told him “my Mom works better this way. There’s LOTS of time left for her”. The dress was done a few weeks before, even with some coffee being spilled on it (that was a panic attack, but all came out), & also with an embroidered label & she looked beautiful. It is very rewarding! Thanks for your story!
Carol Rechtoris
9 years agoWhen I was a teenager I helped my mom make all the dresses for 3 weddings. One year we sewed for 2 graduations and a wedding.
I don’t remember being stressed. My thoughts were, “Gee now it’s over. What next? Please buy me a new sewing machine when you recover”.
You all look lovely. The gents too.
Kim Harrington
9 years agoWhen I found out that I was going to have an article published in a popular sewing and machine embroidery magazine, I celebrated by sharing the news with my family. Then I got to work writing up the article!!!
Becky Taylor
9 years agoWhen my oldest daughter was a senior (she is now 45), she wanted a prom dress that was short in front and long in the back. There were no patterns like this back then. So my sister and I finally got it done. The top was a filmsy like fabric with silver “dots”, the skirt satin. I took it to the cleaners on Thursday before the prom to get the skirt part pressed. When I picked it up, they had dry cleaned it and all of the “dots” were GONE. Off to get more fabric…they had a lady remake it on Friday. I picked it up Friday night when my daughter was working. She tried it on Saturday morning (the day of the prom) and I heard her yell “MOM”!! I went to her room ..she had the dress on and it in no way was acceptable. I had to go get more fabric and called my sister to help. We literally finished that dress as she was walking out the door to go to the prom. We can laugh about it now…but we sure weren’t back then.
gratis sex
9 years agoyour blo is very interesting to us! i will say thanks u a lot for sharing the interesting stuff!