Simplicity 5645 Girls' dress (edited)

I started this dress awhile ago. . . and I finished it!!!

Not numbered, because it was in the first 10. It was the 3rd dress I started and the 5th finished.
It only needed hemming. Silly, silly me. I made this one for practice. When I realized I didn't want elasticized sleeves for a baptism dress, I picked a different pattern, which I made in the meantime. Then life got busy and I came up with excuses . . . but here it is, and it fits!

Best parts of this dress: Flattering fit and ease of construction. I followed the instructions and sweated it out using the serger on the long princess seams of the skirt. WORTH IT!!! (but very frightening) I love the empire waist and princess seams.


Alterations:
I took off 1/2 inch at center front. A girl's size 7 was too big. I had no idea what to do, but Katie helped us with the fitting and it worked out just right!


New skills:

First darts!
First set in sleeves!

Next time:
Need to line the top of the dress at least. The facing drives me crazy.

Down the road I would like to find a similar pattern that has a button closure or zip instead of pulling over the head. And a band around the bottom of the sleeve instead of elastic. If I can't find one, I could alter this one. Experimenting . . . . ?

I love it and so does she. She begged me to finish it for "this Sunday." (As in MULTIPLE times she asked me to finish it for the following Sunday). This week I made it with time to spare--I was finished on Friday. (It was hanging in my laundry room, begging me to work on it, so each time I pass through will be happier!)


EDIT:
Katie is right . . . of COURSE I also had to widen the neckline . . . . I almost forgot.
I know why she remembered, because she helped me fix it, and I know I asked that question more than once!!!!! I had sewn the neckline according to the instructions, but with the 1/2 I had taken in at center front, (which might actually have been 5/8 . . . do you remember, Katie?) it was too tight going over my daughter's head. So I sewed another seamline about 1/8 out from the original seamline, thus making a larger hole, and then picked out the original . . . it worked really well. It took me from September to March to fix the neckline, and March until now to finish the hem.
(Of course I finished and started a few things inbetween).