Bees and Dragonflies Linen Dress: New Look 6643

I'm so excited... this is the first dress that I have made for myself since little Lion was born! 

I had a bridal shower to attend where I knew I was going to see family that I haven't seen in years, so I wanted to have a dress that fit properly even though I'm not quite back to my usual size. I didn't have a lot of time, so I pulled out a pattern I've made many times before and I know I love... New Look 6643. You can see previous versions here (Dogwood Linen Sheath), and here (Chris Palu shredded chiffon). 

Since I'm significantly curvier than I was the last time I made this, I did a few toiles... 4 to be exact! I've never had to do a full bust adjustment, so I made a quick study of it and did about a one inch addition to the bust dart. I also took in the back neck a bit more to reduce gaping there, and did my usual sway back adjustment. Oh, and from previous versions, I knew I wanted to bring in the shoulders a bit and make them wider, all the better to hide my cross-back bra with!

I also added a full zip! Since it was going to be prominently featured, I splurged on a really lovely Riri zipper from Pacific Trimming. The zip is not only a fashion feature... it also allows me to nurse little Lion, which I have to do all the time right now!

The fabric is a digital linen print from Emmaonesock. It is even more lovely in real life than in the pictures. I just love the bees and dragonflies among the flowers.

And look, there are even praying manti among the flowers... you have to love a fabric featuring predatory insects!

The dress is unlined since I love the feel of linen against my skin. To avoid flipped out facings, I drafted an all-in-one facing for the neck and armholes.

All of the seams are flat felled except the center front, where I used the selvages to prevent raveling.

Having a new dress is so much fun! I'm sort of hoping that I will still enjoy the dress if I lose more weight, or perhaps I'll be able to just take in the side seams a bit or wear a belt.