My Grad Gala Dress

In March there was a Grad Gala for Teachers' College to celebrate that the year was almost over and we were almost teachers. I decided to make a dress for it so looked in my stash to see what I could use. I decided on a magenta silk dupioni that I got from Denver Fabrics before it was bought out. I picked this fabric before I found out that the theme of the Gala was "Black and White" but I figured why not go ahead and stand out a little bit. For the dress I wanted something with a vintage feel to it and picked Simplicity 2444.



Simplicity 2444
Pattern Description:
Misses' Dress with collar and sleeve variations.





Pattern Sizing:
4-12, I made size 8.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Sort of, I made some changes.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
The instructions were easy to follow but how they have you put it together, you can't try on the dress to check for fit, etc. until it is almost completely finished. You sew the front to the front skirt and then the back to the back skirt, then the front to the back. As well, the instructions for yardage give you the yardage by which design elements you are using. If you go by this and use the same fabric for all the design elements, you will have bought too much fabric.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I loved the vintage feel to it. It's kind of 1950's, 1960's ish. I also loved that it has pockets. One thing that I disliked is that this dress is unlined and I wanted it lined because it's made out of silk.

Fabric Used:
100% silk dupioni from the old Denver Fabrics. I got it during their going out of business sale for a song. I underlined the bodice and skirt with silk organza from Thai Silks. The pattern doesn't include a lining, but I added one because organza and dupioni can be scratchy. It's made out of bemberg lining material.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I shortened it at the shoulders, cut a different neckline, added a lining, didn't use the facing pieces, and shortened the hem by 1 3/4". I put in an exposed zipper to make it a little edgy and not too princessy. I also made a belt for the dress.





Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I would definitely recommend this pattern. It's easy to make and looks really cute. I'm graduating from teachers' college and we had a grad gala and I needed a dress. This was perfect for the occasion.

Conclusion:
This is a great pattern that is well drafted and easy to put together.

Here is a picture of me wearing the dress: