I successfully made something this week. A shift dress. I got the pattern (Indygo Junction IJ908) at Sewing Summit, and to be quite honest I was about to give it away. The cover samples definitely weren't my style but I kept remembering hearing this advice from Sewing Summit (can't remember who said it): If you only look at cover art, you'll miss out on some great patterns. Look at the technical drawings, you'll find a lot more great patterns that way. I nixed the pocket, nixed the cowl, shortened the sleeves, took in the bust and lengthened the skirt. I also sewed the drawstring on the outside, I thought showcasing the plaid on the bias was cool. It took just over 3 hours to make, going slowly. It was a pretty easy pattern; nice not to think and just sew. The plaid and yellow is a bit sweet, but it's all about styling. I'll be adding a chunky grandpa sweater with boots for fall/winter and gladiator flats in the summer. I used twill tape for the waistband, but my tape was a bit too small for the casing, so I doubled it up with a zig zag stitch. I thought I was being so clever. It's a fun new dress to add to my stash of dresses. It's very lightweight and because it was a structured woven it was really easy to sew with. I've been sewing with some really difficult textiles recently (slinky rayons and polyesters), so that was a nice break.