This is the Great Pearl Monster, GPM for short, and I’m going to use it as the foundation for the design for the new dress. So what I liked about GPM:

• It’s all in one piece which is so convenient and once its on there is no fuss and actually comfortable.
•  The belt sewn into the waistband took all the pressure off the shoulders and put it on the waist.
• One giant pocket
• I always got so many compliments on it!

And what I didn’t like about the GPM:

• The pearls made it so heavy. Also they took a lot of time to sew on (I’ve only had to make two small repairs so they are really sewn on well!)
• The sleeves are very confining and I don’t want anything that tight again. Also afraid to carry things because of pearls.
• The unattached bottom of the center section sometime rides up.
• The belt broke.

There’s one A&S question I hate = If you had to do it all over again what would you do differently? So what am I going to do differently when I remake this dress?

• Wool lined with linen. The last one was trigger (heavy cotton with some stretch) and while it was comfortable I suspect wool will be more comfortable.
• Self lined skirt – the last one wasn’t lined but I always wear a skirt under it. I’m just going to pleat the wool with the linen.
• Get a belt that is actual leather – the last one was pretty wore out when I sewed it in and now I’m going to try replacing it.
• Big voluminous sleeves – not so big I can’t work but big enough that they will never be tight.

So I took a good look at how I made the last one (and I took some pictures) and I’m ready to dig into this project.