I've wanted to make a dress in this print ever since it came out in the collection Rosemary Cottage! I stalked it for over a year until it started to go on clearance, when I snagged some yardage in several colors. Here's my first sew with it – another adjustable 1950s dress made from this pattern.

It was super easy the second time around since I already knew what I was doing – and it's a simple pattern anyway, with a total of 4 pieces plus facings. It went together fast.

This time I used the collar pattern piece that is included, and I didn't love it standing up as shown. I rarely like mandarin collars on myself because my neck is too short. But thankfully it also looked nice flipped down, so that's how I'm styling it. 

I was almost stymied when I came to putting on buttons, because I knew I wanted navy buttons but had NOTHING with enough amount to do a whole dress front. I ended up taking these pretty buttons off of a damaged dress I'd made years ago, so I did a quick refashion with that one as a girl's skirt and pulled off the buttons to use on this dress.

I paired it here with a favorite navy and white 1950s hat & gloves, and my new pair of Marilyn shoes in navy. They are such a classic!

I am very pleased with it as a comfy, size-variable summer dress that can be either casual or dressy, and I still just love the fabric print so I'm delighted I can finally wear it!

I have a fresh urge to sew dresses again, after a long break doing mostly quilting, so I'll have lots more to share in the coming weeks as I see how much of my giant to-sew stack I can get through! Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy what remains of this fleeting summer.