This is one of my early projects, and I made it for a graduation ceremony I was invited to. The fabric was stretch-y and shiny, so it was perfect material for a pencil cut at the hem. To not make it too body-conscious, I designed it to hang away from the body from below the breast. For that purpose, I had to experiment with ruching for the first time. The ruched portion was to be body-hugging, while the rest of the top was more relaxed and flattering to my petite frame. The result: a pencil cut empire dress that was very me!