Keeping My Fingers Crossed

I need help with a dress I'm making, Simplicity 2922. It just won't cooperate and I think it may be because I chose the wrong pattern for my body type. It was nearly finished, just needed to hand sew the yoke facing. I lined it, made a fancy hem and installed the BEST invisible zipper I have ever sewn in my entire life. I really don't want to take it out.

The lining had to go for two reasons: 1) the fabric was a poor choice. It was a thin cotton but still too much with the polyester. 2) it was too small! Duh, I used the actual pattern pieces for the dress for the lining and didn't add any ease (this is my first non-pattern lining.) That darn thing even got flat felled seams...need to use it for something else.

The hem was a 1" strip of the yoke material folded in half and a 5" strip of the dress material, also folded in half and pleated. By the time I had it all together it was waaayyy too stiff for a summer dress. So...out went the hem as well.

Then I started on the alterations. After the perfect invisible zipper was in I tried it on and realized you could send a small child down each side....well, not really but it was too big on top. I took in the yoke & facing about 5/8" on each side and removed the back gathers. No joy - it still makes me look like a line-backer and the gathers on the back made me look like Quasimodo in training. I pinned it all together and got the following pics: (I can't even pick out a not too hideous pic to put out here. Whenever I see photos of myself cringing happens with unbidden gagging noises. The blog photo was an accident; the only good pictures that exist are pure accidents.)

I adore the dress fabric (polyester), not so crazy about the yoke fabric (cotton with a little stretch, interfaced) so I'm thinking I'll take it off the yoke and find another top to add it to.

Dang, another bust. Someday, hopefully soon, I'll sew something I like and look good in.