(kinda) new to sewing

Hi Val

You're help has been awesome...I'm so stoked to make this dress!!

Just a couple more questions :O

you said to get a pattern with a fitted body but a gathered
skirt...um, where are the gathers? cause to me it looks like a fitted
body with a full skirt? are the gathers at the back of the skirt? (is
this a pretty common pattern? Hopefully fabricland will carry it!)

you mentioned that the sash would make it easier bc i wouldn't have to
make one long dart from the bodice to the skirt? so do I make two
darts, one on the bodice (how far would that go?) and one on the
skirt?

about the darts on the skirts...you said that they wouldn't be sewn
shut...so are they inverted darts then? I was practicing last night on
a scrap piece of fabric and i just sewed a straight line down after
having folded the scrap in half and it looked kinda like the picture?
-- but i guess this is wrong, right?

yay to no bias! haha! so just cut straight on the fabric?

I'm in Toronto, any chance you are as well?

Thank you again for all your help!