All cut out.   

I am not skinny enough to get the front and back out of the lace fabric so it has a plain white back, which does mean I can keep my back darts and shaped hem. Yay! Not entirely sure how I'm going to handle the lace border at the side seams but I have left a bit extra to decide what to do with - I'm thinking of wrapping it round to the back but it will just be seeing what looks best.

The front of my pattern had a bust dart which I have moved to the armhole due to the embroidery. I haven't made a toile or anything so just crossing my fingers that it will fit okay 

It's just occurred to me that I might want to add a zip placket so maybe I'm not quite done cutting out. I also need to find and cut some interfacing...

Here's my fabric:

The silk cotton blend and the plain cotton are folded up at the top right... I mean, they're white fabric, there's not a lot to see! 

Ooh I want to join in! I have some white lace somewhere that I want to make a shell top out of. Not sure if I will have time, but I shall do my best...

...at Ray Stitch in London. I'm going on June 4th. Hopefully I will be coming away with a beautifully fitted trouser block to make all the trousers with!

Got one sleeve in and it fits, so that is a huge relief!

I'm at the tacking together for fitting stage. Here's a picture of the back yoke panel.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I thought about a flesh coloured backing, or wearing a flesh coloured slip but I don't even want it to look like I have sheer bits in potentially inappropriate places, especially for a Muslim wedding so I'll just make sure they are only revealing bits of skin I don't mind having on display!

The bride is not superstitious at all and I'm fairly sure there aren't any peacock feather issues in Muslim culture - peacocks are a symbol of royalty so they'll just think I have ideas above my station!

I got my fabric out and I think the silk dupion is more like a raw silk - I'm not sure what the difference is to be honest, but this is finer and more slub-y than silk dupion I've used in the past. It's also fairly transluscent so I am underlining with subtle grey wax printed/ tie dyed cotton (instead of the silk organza I originally planned) which gives a lovely effect when the light shines through it.

I've cut out all my pieces and marked all my stitching lines on the underlining and now I'm just hand-tacking my layers together, then I'll get to work on the sheer back panel (pictures soon!).

I'll do a hand tacked fabric fit before I sew everything together properly.

I probably won't even be able to dry clean this dress with the feathers, etc., so I'm thinking I will make a separate slip instead of a lining, with thread chains and snaps to attach it at the shoulders, as well as removable dress shields at the underarms, so at least those bits can be washed!

FINISHED!



Inside view for fellow seam geeks:



Invisible zip Oyster card pocket in the sleeve: