Betsy Chadd

My daughter has admired my wedding dress from the time she was a little girl. She has said for years that she wanted to modernize it for her own use “someday.” My tea-length Scott McClintock, purchased in 1984, was surprisingly in great shape and ready for the challenge of the upcycle project! Emma gets married on July 21, 2018, so when I read about the challenge on Instagram, I knew the timing couldn’t have been better! We chose Butterick 6854 for her wedding rehearsal dress and a pink ponte knit fabric for a little more structure than a typical, lighter-weight knit. I added the vintage layer of lace from my dress to the bodice of her new one. The wrap-around belt was crafted from my wedding dress sleeves, including the lace trim that originally met my wrist. I’m excited to see her wear this during her rehearsal and dinner, but most proud of the story that her new dress tells.