Moody British Picnics - Butterick B5209

I'm British, and part of that is the constant let-down that is the British Summer and it's Frankly Shitty Weather.

Case in point;

Yeah.
This face is an accurate representation of a dreary day.

Anyhoo.
I MADE A THING.

I bought Butterick B5209 pattern a long-ass time ago with the idea that one day I would make a glorious 40's style sundress with it and swan about the beaches being a perfect summers-day princess.
Instead I used it to further my long-term goals on becoming a picnic basket with this cutesy gingham-and-fruit-print cotton. And stand in a park on a grey day.

As usual, I strayed from the original pattern by changing a few things about this dress - the most obvious being that I swapped out the gathered skirt the pattern calls for with the same skirt from my Swirl dress, since I liked the way it fell on me so much. I added patch pockets, too, because we all know how much I love them.

I also strayed from my usual construction and actually didn't line this dress at all! I wanted to keep it lighter and cooler, so all seams were overlocked using my Brother 1034D aside from the neckline, arms and hem, which were all finished with bias tape and a catch stitch.

It's a sweet little dress, but it doesn't come without some fit issues - I made this up in a straight size 20, which, with my usual pinch-out in the top of the bodice to limit my usual gape issue, actually fitted well compared to other Butterick designs in most respects - apart from this disaster of a bust!
It seems to be a common issue in 40s style dresses with this sort of bustline (is there a word for it?) - but it sits at least two inches higher than where my boobs actually start, which isn't the worst that could happen, but does make me feel a bit cut off at times.

So. Many. Tit. Shots.

Also, as much as I love how huge the skirt is, one thing I didn't expect is that the sides ended up a little longer attached to this bodice than it did on the wrap dress , which is the slightest bit irksome. It's not enough to really upset me, but as you can see in the next image, it's a little annoying.

Ignore the skirt for a second and look at my HAIR.
Goddamnit.

BUT. Aside from all of this, I actually love this dress, I think the silhouette is really good on me, and I love how comfortable and floaty it is - and I think this new calf-length skirt I've been playing with is a good-un.