I want to say thank you to Isaspacey and Birdmommy for helping me with my directional print/princess seam quandary.  I took their advice and cut the piece on the bias, and it looks great!

I didn't get any pictures during the construction because my husband had the camera, but I took a few of the finished details.  Here's my bodice front with the bias-cut side panels.



First ever collar!  It wasn't as hard as I thought to get it symmetrical.  I cut one side at a time and was very careful about matching my stripes.





My stripes match up great on the back.



But not 100% perfect on the front, so I am going to rip out a little bit and fix it. I'll probably wear a belt with it so you won't even see the waistband, but after I spent hours matching stripes and cutting, I want perfection.



All I have left to do is the armhole facings, zipper, and hem.  I am leaving off the gigantic neck bow, but probably adding the two rows of buttons on the bodice front.  If I make this pattern again in the future, I am going to put the left and right bodice front pattern pieces together and cut as one.  I don't really understand why it's two pieces; the buttons are purely decorative.

Other than the finishing touches on this dress, not much sewing is going to happen until Monday.  We're off to Chicago this weekend for a friend's wedding.  Have a great rest of the week and weekend!