Almost Like Project Runway...

Making a wedding gown without a proper pattern can be a little daunting. Especially when one is cutting fabric as beautiful and lush as silk charmeuse. But, my friends, that's what I'm doing. I'm making this gown, customized for the bride, without a pattern.
I began by draping and manipulating the fabric. Then, I pinned, cut and began sewing. In the first two photographs, you can see that I'd already completed the shaping and sewing for the bodice, and I'd also completed all the gathering and sewing for the skirt. Then I pinned bodice and skirt pieces together so that I could see how the fabric would drape. (There was some "unsewing" and rework involved, too!)
Yesterday, after all the adjusting, checking and re-checking (and a little lip-chewing), I finally sewed the bodice and skirt together. I haven't done the finish work on the seam for the empire waist yet, but I'll do that today. I'm finishing most of the seams as French seams, which conceal all the raw edges, but the bodice seam will be given a different treatment.

I attached the lining for the bodice so that once the seams are trimmed and the lining is sewn down, the inside of the bodice will look as nice as the outside. Trimming will also help the seams lay nicely for a flattering fit.
The gown will have 3/4 length sleeves, which I'll be cutting, sewing and attaching today. Then, just for fun, I pinned some of the trim to the neckline so I could see what it's going to look like. I've decided to put this trim on the neckline and on the seam for the empire waist. It will all be attached by hand, instead of using my sewing machine, for a finer finish.

What do you think of it so far? I wasn't kidding.
It's almost like Project Runway!