10. Finding the Fabric

Mom couldn't drive because of the medications she was on for her eye, and she lives 60 miles outside of L.A. I spent a lot of time going around to different fabric stores all over L.A. in search of the perfect off-white bridal satin. I took high-resolution digital pictures so that Mom could see what I'd found.

Unfortunately, by this point, I was so jazzed that I was going to have a couture-quality dress for a materials cost of about $300 that I went a little overboard. OK, I went bridal. I insisted that we use 100% silk for the gown. I believe I even uttered the phrase, "But I don't want to get married in polyester!" at the idea of using a polyester-backed silk-faced satin.

As a note of explanation, silk is beautiful, but it's difficult to work with. Satin is not a fiber of fabric, but a particular weave. The fabric fibers are "floated" on the backing to create the fabric's famous glowy luster. Polyester-backed silk satin, then, is a satin where the backing - the support for the floating threads - is polyester, but the shiny part that everyone sees is silk. Since silk is so slippy, having a more solid backing ain't such a bad thing. But I, caught up in my bridal power-trip, refused to get married in polyester. Much difficulty ensued from this hasty decision.

I did eventually find a lovely ivory 100% silk satin at a store downtown. Mom came down to see it and give final approval. I still hadn't found a lace that I liked, but while we were at the store, Mom and I found a lovely imported silk lace that exactly matched the satin. Mom bought a lighter silk for the lining, and a brownish color to put under the lace.