Cut the dress open on the side seams and cut out the sleeves--this gives you flat fabric to work with. You need a full front yoke pattern piece--take this and lay the bottom of the yoke on the bottom edge of the smocking, putting the seam allowance below the smocking (we don't need it here!) Then measure the length you want your dress, plus the hem and mark that, then cut the extra off across the width of the front. Now this part sounds funny, but just do it step by step--pull the sides of the skirt straight, so the fabric gathers into the center of the skirt--this gives you straight side seams, so you can cut your new side seams. Cut up one side seam, around your yoke piece and down the other side seam. Remove your pattern and voila! your front is done and decorated!. Now, cut yourself a whole back pattern piece, with the center back line on the fold, then draw in the center back line. (I know this looks weird, but it does work!) Button the dress together, and lay the pattern piece with your center back over the center back of the dress--usually the right (as you look at it) edge of the buttonholes, with the bottom of the pattern at the waist or seam line (again, ignoring the bottom seam allowance.) If you are lucky, you will get 2 buttonholes in the piece, if not, you have to make one. Now, measure the length of the skirt, plus hem and trim the back, just like you did the front, pull the sides straight, just like the front, and cut your piece out. You're half way done! Now open out the sleeve pieces and cut your sleeves, using the cuffs or the trim, if possible. If not, I just trim the sleeve with lace and put elastic on it as I usually would. Now join your front to the back at the shoulders, sew in the sleeves, sew the side seams, finish the neck and hem the bottom and you are done! If the dress has ties and I want to use them, I trim them to the right length and sew them into the side seam at the waist line. Hope this is clear--if not, e-mail me questions! -- Jozel