To block, or not to block

Have you ever knit something and as it progressed, found yourself liking the unblocked texture so much that you wanted to leave it that way?  I'm not talking about the lace that just looks like a lumpy mass until it's stretched and tortured into its cobwebby beauty, but something like this, which almost looks like ruffles.  I'm afraid no more info will be forthcoming just yet, as this is a project for a book and must remain anonymous.  Maybe I shouldn't even have said this much, or posted these photos...although they are really incognito, as blocking radically changed this garment's appearance.  Yes, I had to block, or play havoc with the gauge...but now that I think of it, what an interesting way to solve the problem of making something that you can wear before AND during pregnancy, without making you look pregnant all the time; almost like getting two projects while only knitting one.  (Oops, I guess that was more info!)