process and progress

Here’s the sketch of the dress:

Notes: I haven’t worked on the underskirt enough to show anything, but it’s in process. I decided to take off the pockets. If the mannequin, Olive, looks hippy with them, can you imagine what they’ll do to a real body? Yikes.

The first muslin, in actual muslin. A bad idea, since the final will be in silk. Bleh. And the second muslin, in a poly crepe, closer the actual drape. Improving, but still hating it. The main problem is excess gathers preventing a snug fit in the back.

The third muslin photos got lost, but there was tweaking there.

Here’s the fourth and final muslin, in some scrap silk in the sale bin with a good mimic of the charmeuse drape. Yes, it’s missing the left ruffle.

The front of the final–only the bodice so far. Obviously needs a good pressing. I’ve made it a touch more modest than the sketch and reworked some of the proportions to move it away from the Land of “Strictly Editorial” ™.

And the back and side. Notice no back or side seams. The only vertical seam in the front seam, which will eventually be hidden by the ruffles and bows. I also curved the seam in such a way that it will be the guide for the bow and ruffle placement.