A quick toile of the Lodo Dress took less than 1 1/2 yards of ITY in Potting Soil, one of my favorite JoAnn colors. I was able to order 2 yards (their minimum for shipping of fabric (57" wide, 60% cotton, 40% polyester, machine wash gentle cold, dry flat, cool iron, total $14.98), enough for either length of the Lodo Dress. After a spin in the washer and dryer, it lost 2" per yard, thus was only 1 7/8 yard, maybe 54" wide. I knew I wanted a below-the-knee dress, so I took 2" out of the length for view A, later using another 2" in the hem. One half of a yard remained after cutting the front and back. The facings are cut from 1/2 yard of a cotton paisley print fabric from Hobby Lobby (only $3 after 40% off, with a good bit left over after the facings were cut).
The center back and shoulders were sewn together with a stretch stitch, 09/1.5/3.0. There's no ripping that stitch out, but it looked the best of several zig zag options I tried. Facings were applied per pattern, but I did pink the edges, clip, and understitch them before basting them down. Then I used double needle topstitching on the facings, the back vent, and hem for a more professional look. The side seams are sewn at 1/4" instead of 3/8" for now. It may shrink more with wearing and washing. If not, it could be taken in.
The shoulders do not fit well, resulting in drag lines from the bust to the hip. If this doesn't resolve over time, I won't make another Lodo Dress. However, I wouldn't hesitate to try cutting the pattern back to shirt length, if I can resolve the fit issues. There's not a good cap sleeve knit top pattern in my stash.
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