A Very Expensive Nightgown !!!

No, seriously, I call it that because it is made with nightgowns and PJ's.  In fact, she is a mock-up for a MUCH BETTER prom t-shirt prom dress (I hope...).

So here is where I am at right now.

1- I have cut and sewn my bodice lining
2- I have installed boning (oh boy, what an experience...)
3- I have attached the bodice to the skirt
4- I have sewn (: / ) the zipper...

What I have learned:

1- I have to interface t-shirt fabric because it moves and stretches (duh...)
2- I am buying simple boning and creating a casing MYSELF (none of that rapid-sewn stuff...)
3- My ruffles are VERY IRREGULAR (ugh...)  T-shirt fabric is heavy and it is better to use two colors of thread to find it to ruffle.
4- I have to interface tshirt fabric because it moves and the zipper is CROOKED !!!

So here are some pictures of the disaster mock-up dress:

Front view (I "made my hair up" for the occasion... (the everpresent dragonfly)

You can see the boning is not correctly installed but I can't put my finger on it...  I might have installed it on the wrong curve sense (it this makes any sense...).  You can also see to the right that my piece of fabric was not long enough...  If you can believe it, there is a crinoline under this !!!  Tshirt fabric is SO heavy !  I want to make a hoop skirt for the real one to pouf it up.  We'll see about that...

Here are some not so flattering pics... I hesitated posting them but they are part of the process.  Hopefully the real end result will be better...

Back view (oh my, SO not flattering...)

You can't see the puckering of the zipper from this angle but it PUCKERS !

Another angle:

You can see it a little better here...  It definitely needs interfacing.  Stiff one !

For this dress, I still need to cut the length to the knee (I think...) and make a stiffer hoopskirt.  OK, so I think I will now turn to something a bit easier, like a nice bag !!!  

So I learned it is SO important to make a mock-up (even if it takes some time) to figure out what the mistakes you can make are and NOT make them on the real deal !  Learning curve everyone :)

So until the next posting (which should be very soon)...

Peace !

Claudia