More Blue Dress Updates (Bodice Edition)

We had to get the Italian Sports Bra done before fitting the bodice.

The bodice draping went fairly smoothly.


Again, this is my favorite view of the bodice. It's pretty fun to try something new, no?


I more or less arbitrarily decided to do a sharp angle on the back rather than a scoop. It seems to play nicer with the squareness of the neckline.


Refining the pattern and making a paper copy for future use.


I spaced off taking any pictures of the actual construction....*duh* but anyway, it's a layer of cotton duck sandwiched inbetween the inner and outer satin layers. I stitched the back of the neckline, the curve of the armcye, and 3/4 of the bottom of the bodice.


And here is the bodice on Holly. (I don't sew down the shoulder straps until I've done a final fitting.)


And the back....look at Holly's teeny waist!!!


I spent forever and ever getting the dumb organ pleats to stack neatly and end up at the correct waist measurement. I've gotten about 6" into the stitching, and I'm thinking of pulling the skirt off again.


I really love how the pleats end up...


The opening is invisible, since it's between to sets of pleats with a placket behind. (Go me! I can't believe I got it to all end up so even. The left side is the side that has the opening......invisible!!! The right is wonky, because it's pinned and not sewn on yet)

What I am not pleased about is how the pleats line up to the bodice.
On the left side, the edge of the bodice lines up perfectly with the valley of the pleat. on the other side, the bodice edge is exactly 1/2 through the pleat. I might take out what I have done so far and even out the 'opening' part. The opening is exactly 2 1/2 pleats wide, so I would shift the skirt over so each bodice edge is 1/4 into a pleat on each side. Maybe. I have do decide how much it makes me cringe.


Next up, tomorrow I will post about the gold undersleeves! Sneak peek --