Forget Safety, Let's Get Dangerous!

When I first started designing my dress it was lace and ruffles and very country.  It was in my safety zone for seamstressing skills.  But as they've said on Project Runway (my guilty pleasure), you can't always be safe if you want to be wow.

I bought the fabric and ended up having something completely different in mind.  The strapless bodice was in a pinched taffeta and the skirt was a-line and dupioni.  To jazz up the bodice my mom and I planned to incorporate some of my late Gramma's pearls.  But again, the design was safe and the silhouette was really boring.

So I went online and started looking at designer dresses.  I knew the basic necklines and knew I wanted strapless or sweetheart.  I also knew all the basic skirt styles and wanted a-line: not slinky enough to be nightgownish but not poofy enough to be obnoxious.  However, I discovered a new element...  The Dropped Waist.  If there was ever a more beautiful way to flatter an hourglass figure, I've not seen it.  Here is my inspiration:

From "We Can Make That"

Sottero & Midgley

My jaw dropped when I saw this dress and I almost considered scraping my sewing project, recouping my losses as best I could, and scraping pennies to go out and buy it.  Then I recovered my sanity.  I don't know how much this dress is.  Honestly I don't really care.  I know I can do that and I'm giddy to try.

I want to incorporate the fabric I've already purchased (the taffeta was special order so I can't return it) so I checked out a few more bodice ideas:

From "We Can Make That"

Sottero & Midgley

From "We Can Make That"

Demetrios: Sposabella

I want to use the taffeta as the main bodice but then wrap it with the dupioni (I would also still use that for the skirt).  I don't want to add any lace or sparkles, we'll stick with my Gramma's pearls.  I was thinking that I may do a taffeta panel on the "low hip" of the skirt too since I ordered waaaay too much.

So I'm ready to go!  I've got six yards of muslin just waiting to become a mock-up....