The Mockup Saga: Completion?

So I've been working on and off with this beast (mostly on), and I am happy to say, we have a dress. And not only that, and incredibly well-fitted dress. For reals, I am so excited about how this dress looks and feels on my body. It's like buttah.

Without further ado, my wearable mockup:







I have yet to hem it and add a hook and eye at the back zip, but she's "done" for now.
I'm thinking I might toss it in a dye bath, too. The print is a little too much for me. I'm a grays and blacks sort of lady, so I might have to gloom up the red and yellow floral with a more muted wash. I just need to test out some swatches because the sheer self fabric is some kind of synthetic blend and the lining is cotton. Hmm.

Also, here's a bonus "insides" shot just because I am so pleased with my work:



Final thoughts before the actual dress?
- I'm toying with the idea of an underwire.
- I need to figure out a plan of attack for a lapped zipper or loop/button placket.

That's all for now. I'll probably post on the outcome of possible dye adventures.

Wedding Dress: Mockup 4.0

Between work and life and other projects, I've been working semi-diligently on my wedding dress. After three or so muslins, I've got my fit just right.
So now I've been thinking quite a bit about construction. With my sister's performance dress, I've had experience making a formal fitted dress with some internal structure, but I think my sewing OCD is really going to kick in on this project. Particularly with this mockup, which I hope will turn out to be a wearable run-through of the final dress construction. I have a sheer floral print in my stash - a similar weight to the silk I'll be using for the dress - for the self. Then I'll be using an underlining and lining, which for this version will just be muslin.





Right now I've got the lining and underlining pieces basted together, and mostly sewn up. Boning channels are sewn in, and now I'm working on hand-stitching down all of my seams to the underlining.





I've taken a lot of inspiration from Melissa, who has been posting on the process of making her own wedding dress, as well as this book she recommended (the chapter on bodice construction is available as part of a limited preview on Google Books!).

I'll be back with another update (hopefully with some less crappy photos) once I get the bodice sewn together.