Sewing rosettes on a nylon jersey spandex skirt (total n00b here... uh, hi!)

[flinty]

I'm maid of honor in my best friend's wedding and she has recently fallen in love with Two Birds bridesmaids gowns, specifically, the rosette-trimmed tea-length dress (http://www.twobirdsbridesmaid.com/dress/rosette). I love it but it's $370! So I'm trying to convince her that she CAN trust some good etsy-based seamstress to make a bunch of similar dresses but I'm afraid she's going to fret about the quality of buying from someone who has never been featured in a wedding magazine (and end up having her bridesmaids shell out $370 per dress out of anxiety).

Here's my idea (and it's a bit harebrained): if I can prove to her that even I could make a passable copy of the Two Birds dress using similar fabric (and let's keep in mind that I've never sewed a single piece of clothing in my life), then maybe she would feel better about an etsy seller who has FAR more experience.

(this may also be my excuse to make an infinity dress for myself)

So my question is this: I think I can figure out how to make the dress and rosettes by myself just by reading tutorials on them (and, uh, on how to use a sewing machine). But what SHOULD I know about sewing a chiffon rosette trim onto a nylon jersey spandex skirt? Part of why the Two Birds dress is so pretty (imo) is because of the way the rosettes seem to influence the way the skirt falls. Do I have to worry about how heavy the rosettes are? Is there a special way of stitching them onto the fabric so that it doesn't pull at it in weird way? Should I sew the rosettes together first and then sew the whole bunch to the dress or is it preferable to just sew them on one by one? What dumb newbie mistake could I make that could ruin the dress?

Basically, is the process just "make a rosette, sew it on, relax, you're waaaay overthinking this, kid"?

Again, it just needs to be a half-decent copy of the dress so that she could relax in knowing that someone with skill would make one infinitely (haha) better!

Thanks in advance! (And I really tried to stay away from Craftster because OMG, so dangerous for a person who 1. likes pretty things and 2. is convinced that if she only set her mind to it, she can learn how to make anything.)

[Aislynn]

Okay, a couple of things...  First, infinity dresses are one of the EASIEST pieces of clothing to make, so I'm sure you can do it!  Just take a couple passes with the sewing machine over scrap fabric to get the hang of it before you start on your dress.  Second, how I'd do it, and I'm in no way a professional, is to make the rosettes individually and attach them separately.  I'd probably sew around in a circle around the base to get it on there good and tight, but not so close to the edges that it pulls the rosettes in funny ways.  If they're chiffon, and attached evenly around, they shouldn't do anything funny.  And third, make sure any Etsy seller you approaches can make exactly what you (and your friend!) want, within the price you determine is reasonable.  It sounds basic, but Etsy can get spendy!  Good luck!  And post pics of your finished product!

[flinty]

Thanks so much for the advice and encouraging words!

And yes, I am very, very, very familiar with how etsy gets spendy quickly. (That being said, the dress she's eyeing for us costs about $370 each so... anything less spendy than that...)

[pdxislander]

Yes, the perfect answer exactly -- with a blend like this I'd definitely recommend getting familiarized with tension settings on the machine, and that would be half of what you need to know.  And, that often can be the most puzzling thing on a sewing machine, is the tension adjustment:  practicing your sense of how to adjust accordingly will help you with future sewing projects so much!  good luck and have fun!