Blue Porcelain Belladone Date Dress

This dress has been on my brain for a while.

Ever since I saw the fabric I was mesmerized by the blue and the white and the loveliness. 

I was also mesmerized by figuring out what pattern to use.

Early on my mind caught on the Belladone. This would partially be because I have not actually successfully 

made many dresses via a pattern, but I also really loved the silhouette. 

Due to concerns about the darts I swapped out the skirt for a derivative of 

The Selfish Seamstress' Coffee Date Dress skirt. And as I wanted maximum fullness of the skirt, 
as much as the fabric allowed, I used the waist curves at the top of the pattern pieces 

and with the help of my trusty yardstick and pins cut out a slightly wider skirt.

Before the skirt there was an annoying period of trying to figure out how to match the side and back seams of the bodice before cutting into the fabric. An evening or two was/ were spent engrossed in this challenge until I realized that there was a dart in the side which would skew any pattern matching so I threw up my hands,  matched only the back seam, and whipped out the scissors. 

Do do do. Along goes the bodice: shoulder seams; stay stitching along the neckline; stay stitching along the armholes to hold the back pieces together; visible stitching* of the back pieces when I decided to shift the zipper to the side seam; waistband; bias tape for the neckline, armholes, and cut out. 

The bias tape took quite a bit of more time due to contemplating whether it'd be visible or act as a facing. 

*Didn't want to try to match the pattern by turning the right sides together and stitching

Attach skirt, side seams, detour into pockets. I actually made pockets and was all ready to add them when doubts about pocket contents weighing down the skirt arose. The mind was made up when, as a test, I actually dropped my phone into the pocket which dropped both on the floor with a small thunk.

Lining: half circle skirt attached at the waistband.

Inner waistband to cover up the interfacing. 

Other alterations include 1" vertically removed from the bodice, 14" zipper instead of

whatever the instructions call for, ignoring the vertical bodice darts, lowered the armscyes by 1",

and stitching down the back pieces so that the cut out doesn't shift.

Next time I might add back that inch removed from the bodice, just to see what it looks like. 

I started with a little over two yards of a quilting fabric (yeah...) and in the space of less 

than a week** turned out this lovely frock.

Wee, now I'm going to rejuvenate by... not stitching?

(Blogging might take a hit from the sheer frustration of photo taking)

**Thank you The Monthly Stitch!
(EDIT: Of which I was too late to submit for the Indie Pattern Month Dress category)

Thanks also to:

Stashbusting 2015

and the Dress Up Party!

Basic Facts:

Pattern: Belladone bodice, Coffee Date Dress skirt

Fabric: quilting cotton (named Porcelain Blue) for fashion fabric,
 blue poly-cotton(?) pillow case for waistband and bias tape,
sparkle quilting cotton for lining 

Notions: 14" white invisible zipper

Stashbusting Piece Count: 3- 5 of 6 

(EDIT: the first publication of this post was a rush job regarding photos)