Simplicity 1810 Dress in Rayon

I made this dress pattern last spring, and at that time, I said "This design is the dress of my dreams."  It still is.  Comfortable, breathable, Florida perfection.  However, it seems that it is no longer in print because I cannot find it on the Simplicity website.  Boo hoo!  Here it is on the Pattern Review site, though, for reference.  Why, oh why, would they put this out of print so quickly.  I mean, come on, it is the perfect dress, and I haven't even gotten around to making the top yet!

We have been having the most ridiculous rainy weather for the past few weeks.  Tropical storm Colin wasn't the half of it.  Before that, we had some crazy rain and wind for days.  Anyway, what this means for you is that you get crummy indoor shots of the dress.

There are two ways to wear this dress, which I find fun.  It is a subtle difference, but fun none the less.  You can tie it in the front...

Or wrap the ties around to the back and knot them for a more streamlined look.  I always wear my other version of the dress this second way, but this fabric is more drapey, so I can see myself going with the bow from time to time.

This fabric is a woven rayon border print from JoAnn Fabrics.  I fell in love with the color, the fact that it is not polyester, and the border print.  The only change I made to accommodate the border print was to change the A-line skirt shape to a straighter shape, starting about halfway down the skirt.  This makes for a  less swingy skirt, but it doesn't interrupt the border print.

Now, before this last pic, let me state that I AM NOT PREGNANT... but as I was taking photos, I decided that this would make a great maternity pattern with little alteration.  It's roomy in the bust, a bit high waisted, and you could easily make the skirt even bigger.

Princess Seam Border Print Dress - McCalls 5232

Sometimes, I think I have no idea what looks good on me...

I purchased this fabric from Pennie Fabrics in Sarasota.  It was love at first sight.  Nasir gave me a very generous 2 yards (more like 2.5), and I wanted to make the most of the yardage and the border print.  I decided to go with a classic princess seam style with a full skirt.  I found McCalls 5232 in my stash.  It is so long out of print that it's not on the McCalls website anymore, but here is the envelope pic:

After, I finished the dress, I was happy with it, but I feared it looked a little twee with the pink flowers and full skirt and all.  I wore a gray cardigan closed over top for church today, as shown below, and considered changing it into a skirt.

 However, after all of the compliments I received, both with and without the cardigan, I'm not changing it at all.

This dress was a hit with everyone from little girls to very mature ladies, little boys to gentlemen, not to mention my hubs.  I really don't generally get comments from anyone other than my husband and closest friends, so this was definitely a noticeable uptick.  My favorite comment was "you look like you stepped out of Roman Holiday."

 Well, I'm not shy.  I'll take the compliments and continue to wear this dress with and without sweaters over top.

If I make the pattern again, though, I'll make the top back a bit narrower and the bodice 1/2 inch shorter...