trimming away the bits that don't look like elephant

you know what they say
if you want to make a sculpture of an elephant
get a lump of rock
and trim away all the bits that don't look like elephant

am trying to apply similar principles to making this dress
began with a rectangle about 12 metres x 5.5metres

[unlike Julian Roberts, who works with tubes to make his extraordinary subtraction cut garments] 

used subtraction cutting principles to create two bodices
but
didn't cut away much cloth
only the neck holes
and some tear-drop shaped "corner turning bits"

so the first try-on
was a bit like standing in the middle of a spinnaker
with your head through a hole
shaping has begun
tucking and stitching as opposed to cutting too much away
bringing shape to the flat cloth

not 12 metres long anymore [now nearer to 9]
but it still takes up most of the sewing room
a bit like that scene from Black Books
where they "cover everything with an Indian Throw"

fortunately the whole thing
tucks neatly into a tidy bag