Finally...The Wedding Guest Dress!

Finally, the weather complied, and the Mr. and I were able to take some pictures of the wedding guest dress!

Sewing this dress definitely took some effort.  If you remember, I drafted the pattern myself based on a RTW dress I liked.  The muslin was promising, but my first attempt to sew the dress with poly charmeuse was a total wadder.  I tried again with a heavier-weight satin, which was much better suited to the design, and I was much happier with the results.

I shared my progress on this dress with the other participants in the PR Formal Wear Contest, but unfortunately I'm ineligible to enter, since I haven't been a member for long enough.  Oh, well, maybe next time!

I also got lots of great suggestions on the construction of this dress from the ladies at the SE Michigan PR meet-up.  At Lynelle's suggestion, I did a hong-kong finish inside the bodice--I like the contrast from the purple satin ribbon, even though no one will see it.  And a special thanks to Therisa and Elnora, who sat on the floor to mark the hem for me!

Wearing the dress feels amazing!  I love the flowy bias skirt--it just feels elegant.  And although formal wear tends to languish in my closet, I know I'll have at least two chances to wear this dress in the next year: Cousin Angela's wedding in a few weeks, and my friend Katie's wedding in November.  Coincidentally, both ladies have dark blue as one of their wedding colors, so I'll fit right in!