For week 9 I went with the Simplicity pattern 4561 from the early 1960's. There is no copyright date on the envelope so I don't have a exact year. I've ran across these with other Simplicity patterns from this time period. The pattern is a size 20 with a 40" bust. For the fabric I chose a grey and red plaid shirting that I have had in my stash for years. I was given about six yards of it from one of my Aunts, and this is the second dress I have made with it. The first being for me. I love this fabric. It has a great weight and lays beautifully. I felt like it was the perfect choice for this pattern.
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| Pattern and plaid |
As far as the pattern itself, I wasn't crazy about it. I went with view 2. While it made up easily enough, I did do a few tweaks to it. For the main pattern pieces (the bodice and skirt) I followed the instructions. The top is a kimono sleeve, and I turned up the end to make the cuff. The skirt is a full gathered, and there dress has a zipper in the back. Kimono sleeves are not my favorite, but they added to the overall look of the dress. The finished dress is simple, with clean lines, and easy to follow pattern instructions.
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| cut pieces ready to assemble |
Now, for the changes. I made two significant ones. First, the collar on this dress is a detachable one, and honestly I hate that. I decided to attach the collar by sandwiching it between the layers of the bodice and the lining. I clipped the curve and blinded stitched down the lining. The second was the split in the front of the bodice. At first I sewed it up the was it is intended but after trying it on my dress form I realized that it was way too short and just looked odd. I opened up the seams, and made it lower into the bust. I think it made it look so much nicer.
All that being said this was a pretty easy dress to sew and very flattering on. I wouldn't recommend this to a beginners, but it wouldn't be a challenge for someone with some experience with dresses.
The finished view
