Project Planning with Fabric Choices

Now that my Vogue dress is done, I am now on to my next project. I have this great shirtwaist dress pattern that I bought (from this lovely etsy seller) the same time I received my vintage Dubarry dress pattern, which turned out to be a little disastrous unfortunately. I am determined to sew this and to make it work (when you say that, does the voice of Tim Gunn ring in your head, or is it just me?)

I am in the process of making a muslin of the bodice, which I think may need some tweaking. This time around I am making the muslin — with muslin. Duh, right? Not so in my world. If I make this muslin in something else, I will feel the pressure of actually wearing the piece and spend too much time finishing it as if it was the final version, not just a draft to check fit. Am I making sense? I hope so. So, my new year's resolution is to only make my muslins in muslin. If you see me making muslins from something else, I give you permission to yell at me. Perhaps I will come up with some sort of punishment, twenty bound button-holes, ten invisible zippers, or gathering yards of fabric...these all sound like torture to me. No thanks!

Anyway. On to the fabric. I had originally purchased a brown Crepe de Chine for this, but now I am wondering if I should go a different route. Here are the fabric options on the envelope back: Linen or Linen-Like cottons, Shantung, Silk Crepe, Silk, Silk Jersey, Gingham or Cotton Prints.

Here are some of the options that I have in my stash are as follows:

Fabric: Silk Print from WinMil Fabrics

Intended For: My trench coat lining, perhaps that is where it will stay

Fabric: Silk from Mood LA

Intended For: The Dubarry Dress, and we know how that went

Fabric: Crepe de Chine from Mood LA

Intended For: This dress, but now rethinking

Or should I try to find something a little more exciting, like a polka dot (black with white dots*)? I also am unsure about silk. Maybe the first attempt should be a cotton-like fabric? What do you think? 

* You can't see it, but on the pattern envelope, the other view with long sleeves is done in a polka dot fabric, white with black dots...so I feel like fate is telling me dots ;) Right?!