You guys, one of the first things you should know about me is that I’m nearly as Southern as they come as far as my cold weather tolerance is concerned. In other words, I have no cold weather tolerance. Like, at all.

How have I survived the winter – aside from huddling underneath my trusty electric blanket set as high as it will go – you ask? I’ll tell you: I accidentally gave myself something to look forward to when I finished this dreamy Project Runway-inspired Simplicity 2444 dress in October when it was no longer warm enough to wear it.

Seeing this pretty lady hanging in my closet, her full skirt, cherry blossom pattern and happy bluebirds cheerily greeting me each morning, made me the slightest bit less grouchy and shivery. Just look at those double pleats on the skirt and bodice!

Another thing I’d like to go ahead and reveal about myself is that I more or less live at the thrift store that’s entirely too close to my apartment. That may be a slight exaggeration, but in all seriousness, I develop a serious case of FOMO if two weeks pass and I haven’t stopped by to at least check their selection of fabrics and linens.

I’ve been extremely lucky in the past few weeks, scoring linens by the bagful that are destined to become Halloween costumes later this year (hopefully) and, my crowning thrifting achievement, a vintage Kenmore sewing machine that I hope to have oiled up running smoothly soon.

As far as fabric finds, however, this vintage blossom fabric, formerly a bedsheet, has been my favorite. I’d been hanging onto Simplicity 2444 for a couple of years until I found the perfect fabric for it, and this was it.

I fell in love with this Project Runway-inspired pattern on sight for its wearable vintage feel and easy customization with details like the stand collar, sleeve variations and pockets (always a plus). Here, I left out the pockets due to the light weight of the fabric and added a blush-colored lining. I also added about 2–3 inches to the length to add a little drama…and to make it more fun to twirl in, obviously.

This was a project I really invested some time in, using bias-bound seams in the same blush fabric as the lining and reinforcing the side seams so I’d feel more comfortable tailoring this form-fitting bodice that really shows off both the pattern and the double darts at the waist. I’m very happy with the resulting garment, and I can’t wait to take it outside once the temperature cooperates—maybe with a lightweight cardigan in the same blue as the wee birdies if (read: when) I become impatient.

Read my Simplicity 2444 pattern review here.