Hanna's Concert Gown: Part 1

My weekend is in full sewing swing. I'm busy working on my concert gown for an upcoming concert I'm performing in. You can see my progress in the above picture. I have still many miles to go, but I pinned it together to give you an idea of what the finished dress will look like. As this is a huge undertaking, I thought I'd share the process in two parts.

I started with three different patterns...

and combined them into one. I did do a muslin for the neckline and the bodice to adjust the fit. I actually had to do a lot of altering, so it was good that I did the muslin before cutting into my gorgeous gown fabric. I didn't need to make a muslin for the skirt since I've already used it previously and knew it fitted well.

After cutting out all the pattern pieces, I first started working on the neckline. I'm pear-shaped, so I wanted the neckline to draw attention to my upper side and help balance out the hips. I covered the neckline with decorative stones. I hand-sewed them on with invisible thread.

Next step, sewing together the underdress. This step was the quickest so far, since I'd already done the muslin and new everything would fit together and on me as well. The trouble started when I started gathering the upper layer of the dress. I'm still trying to figure out how to make it all fit and look good. It's going to take some more work, but I'm already starting to see the end result. It's going to be stunning!