Spring for Cotton planning

There really is nothing like a sewalong or a challenge to get the creative cogs turning.
Ever since I saw the Sew for Cotton sewalong announced, my sewing brain started to work on what to make.

I instantly knew that it was to be a dress, it is a spring challenge after all! And plus; I really need me some dresses! At first, I pondered the big full skirted 50s party dress with a halter neck. I already got the fabric for this one last summer, and planned to use the pattern for the striped sun top as the bodice (with some modifications). I have dreamed of this dress for a long time, but then it hit me that I would need a gigantic petticoat with that, and I was not planning on having a cotton one... Besides, the plan was to have contrasting satin details on the bust, and some slippery lining of some sort. All the "things" were just not lining up with the 100% cotton rule.

So, the party frock got pushed back into que. I was going to have to come up with something else.
Then I concidered the 40s dresses. They don't usually require a big petticoat, and is more suitable for packing along in a small sportscar (with virtually NO space for luggage). I dug through my pattern stash and found two candidates for the job.

source

The Hollywood one was one of the first patterns I ever bought. It is only a copy and is for a 38" bust. At that time, I really thought I had a 38" bust, but really more close to 36". Hence all my early patterns are rather too big.

The second is the Ceylon dress from Colette patterns. I won this in a give away ages ago, and I feel kind of guilty for not having made it yet. Is there some sort of social convention that dictates a time frame in which you have to make use of the won item? I have also won some fabric, and feel I should make use of it, but I do want to find the right project for it... (your valued opinions in the comments below;) But I digress!

To make the story short(ish), I am using the Ceylon pattern. I think the neckline on the Hollywood one is too girly and cutesy, and maybe not my style. I really do like the shoulder yoke design, bust gathers and midriff section that you find is so many 40s patterns, and also the Ceylon. I am not sure I dig the dropped waist, but there will be a muslin so we'll see. It would be an easy fix to raise it.

I got the fabric before I was set on the pattern. It was a bit of a spur of the moment buy, I loved the color way and cute tree print, and it's a nice soft organic cotton. When I got it home and washed it, I noticed when looking at it hanging on the line, that the print is not at all that randomly scattered as I wanted it. The repeats form noticable rows, and this means there will have to be matching. Sigh.
I also worry the print is too big to work with this dress. It suddenly looked like curtain fabric.

The color is slightly more lavender, and the small
leaves are pink, aqua, ocre and black.

I may be over-thinking things.
In any event, I look forward to start on this project. I have ten days of uninterrupted sewing time coming up over the Easter holidays . SWEET!! I shall not miss the factory one tiny bit.

So, how is your planning going? All set?