Back to the Drawing Board

Today was the first lovely day in a week, so I wore it one more time before the prototype phase is past. At lunch, I ventured into a health-food store. Starring at the banana chips, a woman who worked there commented, "what a beautiful dress you are wearing". I turned around and realized she was talking to me! I thanked her. She asked me where I got it. I told her I made it. She then asked, "Well, did it come from your head, is it a pattern or what?", I told her I designed it myself, that I'm in the process of designing a collection of clothes and the collection is found just up the street. I told her I'm working on this piece and it will soon be in the boutique. She knows where Amuse is and she will come in sometime. Well, how is that for affirmation?

I am really happy with this prototype. There are only two changes I would like to make.

1. Can you see all those wrinkles near my elbow on the left? Well, I'm going to transfer that extra fabric to the top edge of the back and remove it. Sneaky isn't it? [The wrinkles at my hip, near my hand don't bother me, as I don't have the right sort of curves to fill that area, where most women will.]
2. The back neckline looks like it is tied in the picture, but it is sewn. I like the silk bias trailing on the back, it feels good, it is sexy. But when it strangles the wearer it is not suitable for selling. So this is what I'm going to do: extend the centre back of the neckline and use it for a tie. I haven't decided if I will use the classic yet unreliable knot and bow strategy, hooks and eyes a-la-brassier, wee snaps a-la-Small-Medium-Large positioning, or D-rings a-la-80s belty things. I could always just sew a length of elastic, the same with of the neck band? But I wouldn't want gathered fabric covering the elastic.

Hmmm any suggestions?