DIY Veil

[sarahbella636]

Taken from http://www.wegotgame.net/jen/veils.html

Making a Veil

Frankly, if you are not confident about your abilities and don't have much time to devote to measuring (or possible mistakes), a commercial pattern is very easy to use. Vogue, Burda, Butterick, McCalls, and Simplicity all produce good basic bridal veil patterns, many of which also include directions for some sort of headpiece. They generally cost $8-$15 (Wal-Mart and most large fabric chains sell patterns at half price), contain all the instructions, list exactly what's needed and how much of it, and the tissue provides a foolproof cutting guide.

However, if you feel adventurous, or have some sewing experience and just need a few specific pointers, here are some basic instructions for making two types of veils. Recommended tools and supplies are:

• scissors (sharp dressmaking shears are best) or a rotary cutter and cutting mat
• small weights for laying out the tulle (canned goods or smooth stones work)
• a tape measure and/or yardstick
• pins and needle
• thread to match the tulle

An iron is useful but not necessary. Depending on the style of veil you want, you may also need:

• comb, Velcro, or bridal loops (sold by the yard at fabric stores)
• satin rattail cord, soutache, pearl cotton, or other edging
• small pearls, sequins, crystals, or other decoration
• fabric glue, tweezers, and toothpicks for attaching decoration

The amount of tulle you need will vary according to style and height. The traditional lengths (adjust for your individual height and taste) are:

• Shoulder or blusher, 18"-24"
• Waist, 30"
• Fingertip, 40"
• Chapel or floor, 60"-72"
• Cathedral, 108" or longer

I recommend buying 108" width tulle for fingertip and longer veils. Most fabric and craft stores carry it. 72" width works well for the shorter lengths unless you want a very full look.

Tulle, or bridal illusion, is sold in white, diamond white, and ivory shades. Dye lots vary, so be sure to buy all you need at one time, from the same bolt. If one store doesn't have the right color, another shop may have a bolt that matches nicely. White is best for synthetic gowns. Diamond white looks best with silk or off-white gowns. An ivory gown may look good with either diamond white or ivory tulle, so buy a foot or so to try out. You may also be able to find candlelight tulle, which has a warmer, pinker cast. A range of colors is available at most fabric stores but the wider widths may be limited to a few basic shades.

Organza and chiffon make pretty veils as well. However, unlike tulle, the raw edges of these fabrics must be finished or they will ravel and fray. A narrow rolled edge works well, and an edge bound with a wide bias strip of satin or self fabric is streamlined and elegant. Organza and chiffon are commonly sold in 45" and 60" widths. 72" width is sometimes available in a limited range of colors.

[sarahbella636]

Single Layer Veil
This can be made in any length. Use 72" width tulle for shorter lengths than fingertip, 108" width tulle for fingertip and longer.

Begin by laying out and straightening the tulle. If you do not have a work table large enough, a clean floor is a good surface. If there are creases or wrinkles, they can be steamed out with a steamer or by hanging the tulle in a steamy bathroom. A regular steam iron is perfectly fine and will not melt the tulle as long as you use the appropriate synthetic setting; always test a scrap before pressing fabric.

Small weights along the edge are helpful to keep it in place and more easily repositioned than pins. Leave the center fold intact.

The bottom may be shaped into a curve using a compass technique. Remember high school geometry? Measure off a square at the bottom the same height as the width of the tulle, folded. Use a yardstick or tape to measure the same distance from this point and it will trace the curve. You can mark the edge with pins or use a dressmaker's marking pencil. Even a regular pencil will work if you then cut just within the line so no mark is left on the veil.



The veil edge may also be just rounded off freehand or traced using a platter or other round object. This will leave more width at the bottom of the veil, but will not create a ripple or cascade effect.



Use sharp dressmaking shears or a rotary cutter for a smooth edge. Open up the tulle and gather along the top edge.



A heavy button thread is good and won't break. A double strand of regular sewing thread will also work nicely. This can be done with a traditional running stitch, but it is better to use a whipstitch which encircles the edge. Pass the needle over and around the edge of the tulle, taking many stitches until the needle is filled, then draw the thread through. Magenta thread is used below for contrast.



It is easier to finish the veil edge before gathering. Attach to a comb, Velcro strip, or your headpiece.

[sarahbella636]

Double Layer Veil


This can be made in any length. Add the blusher length to the underlayer length to determine how much tulle you need. Use 72" width tulle for shorter lengths than fingertip, 108" width tulle for fingertip and longer.

Begin by laying out and straightening the tulle. If you do not have a table large enough to work on, a clean floor is fine. If there are creases or wrinkles, they can be steamed out with a steamer or by hanging the tulle in a steamy bathroom. A regular steam iron is perfectly fine and will not melt the tulle as long as you use the appropriate synthetic setting.

Small weights along the edge are helpful to keep it in place. Leave the center fold intact.

The bottom may be rounded off freehand, traced (a large plate or charger makes a great template) or shaped into a curve using a compass technique. Remember high school geometry? Measure off a square at the bottom the same height as the width of the tulle, folded. Use a yardstick or tape to measure the same distance from this point and it will trace the curve. You can mark the edge with pins or use a dressmaker's marking pencil. Even a regular pencil will work if you cut just within the line so that no mark is left on the veil.



You can use the now-rounded edge as a template to cut the other edge, or cut them at the same time by folding the tulle lengthwise. A short shoulder length veil with a blusher can be cut as a simple circle. A longer veil, when cut, will look like the picture below, with a portion of the side a straight line.



It is simpler to finish your edge before the veil is gathered. To gather, fold over the portion that is to serve as the upper layer. For a rippling cascade look, which is easiest to flip forward for a blusher, measure in 12"--18" from the edge before gathering, as shown below. For a puffy full look, simply gather across the entire folded edge.



Gather using a whipstitch which encircles the folded edge of the veil. A heavy button thread is good and won't break. Pass the needle over and around the edge of the tulle, taking many stitches until the needle is filled, then draw the thread through. Magenta thread is used below for contrast.

This shows the different look obtained by gathering either way. Attach to the headpiece, a comb, or a strip of Velcro.


The veil can also be worn ungathered. Below is a picture from a mid 1950s McCall's veil pattern envelope. The veil was folded as shown above and stitched, for about 8" along the fold, directly to the headpiece. This creates a striking cascading edge, and the top layer is easily flipped forward to serve as a blusher.

[sarahbella636]

Decorating the Body of the Veil
There are many possibilities for this sort of decoration! Small crystals (20ss or smaller) can be very striking. They come in clear (diamond-like), aurora borealis (rainbow iridescent), and a variety of colors. Sequins, too, come in different sizes and shades and sparkle nicely. Pearls are elegant placed singly or clusters of 3. They are sold in white, ivory, cafe, cream, and other shades so you should find ones that coordinate perfectly. Lace appliques can be bought individually or cut from an allover lace or trim, and are particularly effective when they match the lace trim on the gown. Silk rose petals can be beautiful for a pastoral wedding, especially the variegated pastels. Cut apart purchased silk flowers.

Some photographers warn that pearls and rhinestones on veils may show up as black dots in pictures.

This is easiest to do before you gather the veil.

Lay out the veil and mark your spacing with pins; you can arrange the decoration evenly, like a grid, scatter them with a concentration toward the bottom of the veil, or just sort of sprinkle them lightly. If you are decorating your blusher layer, you may want to place the embellishment toward the bottom edge only; if in your field of vision, they may be annoying.



You can glue or sew on the decorations. Glue is easier for many people and can be quicker, while sewing may be more secure and can be removed if you decide to reposition or remove something. Fabri-Tac is my favorite glue for this use. Sold at most fabric and craft stores, it dries clear, flexible, and waterproof. I recommend experimenting with scraps before working on the veil itself. It takes very little glue to hold things in place and you don't want excess blobs.

Some people prefer to use a hot glue gun on a cool setting, applying very small amounts and pressing the decoration into place. I personally find that this takes a greater degree of control than many part-time crafters possess, and that it is easier for the average person to get good results with Fabri-Tac. It also will not burn your fingers!

Lay out the area you're working on over a sheet of waxed paper or foil (if your work area is small, you may want to decorate a large veil in sections, letting each dry before moving on to the next). Sequins, beads, and crystals are most easily applied with tweezers or a moistened Q-tip, which is surprisingly effective for picking up little flat things. Apply a little dot of glue with a toothpick and press the embellishment in place. Larger lace pieces, flower petals, and such may have the glue applied directly to them before placing on the veil.

Let dry before moving the veil. When the glue is set the veil can be handwashed in lukewarm water, with a mild detergent, if cleaning is necessary. Fabri-Tac, like most glues, is not drycleanable.

[sarahbella636]

Veil Edge Finishes
You can leave the edge raw for a wispy look or you can finish it off. A pencil edge, a corded edge, ribbon, lace...there are many possibilities. A serger is not necessary for a fine pencil edge; in fact I personally find the serged edge tends to look cheap and unprofessional. Here are two methods for a narrow edging using a regular sewing machine.

A rolled edge can be made by folding over the edge about 1/2" and zigzagging over the fold. Use a fine thread, like a serger thread or size 80 to 120 cotton thread, and a closely spaced, narrow zigzag. Trim away the excess tulle very close to the stitches, being careful not to nick them. Applique scissors are good for this.



For a ruffled 'lettuce edge' effect, stretch the tulle slightly while stitching; experiment with scraps to see how much you need to stretch it, then keep that tension constant for the best look.

A corded edge can be made by zigzagging over a length of pearl cotton, bourdon gimp, or satin rattail or mousetail cord. Lay the cord about 1/2" from the edge and set the stitch just wide enough to enclose it. After stitching,
trim as close to the stitches as possible.



Soutache braid or ribbon can be sewn on in a manner similar to the cord, using a straight stitch rather than a zigzag. It is usually easier to sew an edging 1/2" or so from the edge and trim the excess tulle than to try to align it perfectly with the cut edge.

[sarahbella636]

Attaching the Veil

The most common options are

• sewing the veil directly to the headpiece. You might want to avoid this if you want to remove the veil for part of the reception, or if you are having your hair done long before the wedding and don't want to trail a veil around all day.
• sewing the veil directly to a comb. It can then be inserted and removed from the hair independently of a headpiece, and is good if you are planning to remove the veil for the reception. 4" combs are the most common size for bridal use. Two smaller combs may be used side by side. A single small comb may not hold the veil firmly enough.
• sewing bridal loops (sold at most fabric stores) to the veil. A comb, either the one anchoring the headpiece or a separate one, can be slipped through the elastic loops. Alternatively the veil can be bobby-pinned in place using the loops.
• sewing the veil to a strip of Velcro. Use the hook side on the veil and sew or glue the soft loop side to the headpiece, to avoid snagging your hair when the veil is removed. The hooks can also snag the veil, so cut an extra strip of loop tape to press in place when the veil is stored or transported separately.

To sew your gathered veil to a comb, anchor the thread in the veil. Bring your stitches through the veil, around the 'spine' of the comb, and between the teeth. The magenta thread shows you approximately how to place the stitches; you, of course, will use a white, ivory, or clear thread! Keep the gathered veil on 'top' of the comb to prevent the comb from showing when it is slid into the hair.



To sew the veil to a strip of bridal loops, cut the strip about an inch longer than needed and fold it so that the first and last two loops overlap each other. The greatest stress will be on these edges and this reinforces them. The stitches below are a little exaggerated so that you can see them clearly.



The veil may be sewn to a strip of Velcro in the same way. Cut the Velcro to the correct length and adjust the gathering of the veil accordingly.

[sarahbella636]

That's awesome!! My grandmother is going to make my veil, I just need to get her the pattern and tulle. What pattern did you use?

[sarahbella636]

I almost bought that pattern today at Wal-Mart! Can't wait to see pics of the veil!

[sarahbella636]

Ohh, your veil looks great, Amy!! Your mom did a nice job. I'll definitely pass that advice on to my grandmother. Yeah for DIY!!