Oh, she was tickled pink by this gift! You can see the radiant smiles in the pictures. Throughout the knitting process, she thought this was for someone else and she was standing in as dress-dummy for fitting purposes. I nearly had the life squeezed out of me by the thank you hug!

Modifications

• Completed 6 rows in the lace pattern at the hem instead of the rib.
• Did a very subtle stripe up to the bodice. On the right side, knit, except for the stitch in line with the pinnacle of each lace motif: purl that stitch. On the wrong side, purl all as usual. (Truth be told, it is because I am not sure how even my work would appear in the seven inches of stockinette in a cotton, so this will visually break up the expanse).
• Started the sleeves with bogiebogie’s edge modification. I still like hers, but the Comfy didn’t work that well for this.
• Started the neck shaping higher up, since this is for my niece, rather than an adult - it still resulted in a lovely U-shape.
• Knit in one from the hem, split for the arms. Continued knitting all parts at the same time with many different balls of yarn.
• Kept adjusting measurements, especially lengths, as I kept working. The biggest adjustment turned out to be the height of the armscyes and the corresponding adjustment in the length of the sleeve caps for the set in sleeves.

12/1: Finally finished two items that had been on the needles far too long, slumbering through my (enforced) knitting hiatus of more than three months.