Sewing From the Past - Simplicity 2250

I made this dress a while ago, in May of this year, but thought I would share it.

Here I am with our tomato, cat nip, and pepper plants. 

The sun was really bright and I had to shield my eyes.

Here is my review of Simplicity 2250:
Pattern Description: Misses' Dress in two lengths, jacket and tie belt. I made view B, which is the shorter version of the dress with the narrow straps. This is a Cynthia Rowley designer pattern.

Pattern Sizing:H5 (6-14) R5 (14-22)
I made size 8. My measurements indicated that I should make a size 10 but I often find that size 8 fits me better.

Notions:
White invisible zipper.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
The instructions were easy to follow. For the construction of this dress it is important to follow the order outlined in the instructions. Be sure to mark all of the darts and pleats on the bodice front carefully so that everything matches up correctly.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I loved the interesting darts, pleats and seams of the bodice. It is a very interesting way to shape the bodice and looks really good. And POCKETS!! I love dresses that have pockets.

Fabric Used:
A yellow Ralph Lauren cotton/lycra sateen from Elliott Berman Textiles. This fabric was a little too thick for this pattern as the ties don't really tie like they should. Instead of tying them I made a band that I feed the ties through to keep them together and look like they are tied. I lined it with white cotton batiste (bodice only) and for the interlining used a white 100% cotton broadcloth. Some others have wondered why the pattern has you interline the bodice front and I think that it is to give the bodice a solid structure/base.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
- I finger pressed all of the darts/pleats/seams as indicated in the pattern as I was sewing them but after the front part of the bodice was completed I lightly pressed it with an iron. Beause my fabric was thicker I think it needed the iron pressing to look nice.
- I didn't interface the upper bodice pieces that create the sweatheart neckline.
- I didn't cut the straps on the bias as the pattern indicated and it worked out fine.

- When I was attatching the interlining to the bodice front, I noticed that although the side seams matched in the length, the centre of the bodice was too long and pouched out in an unattractive manner. To correct this I just took in the seam at the bottom of the bodice the necessary amount to make everything line up correctly. The pattern indicates that this seam allowance should be pressed down towards the skirt but when I did this and then sewed the skirt on there was an unattractive bulge along this seam and part of the seam disappeared into the seam allowance of the skirt/bodice seam. So I took it apart and pressed the seam upwards and resewed the skirt and it looks much better.

- Instead of the 1 1/4" hem suggested I made the hem only 1/2" because I wanted the skirt to be a little longer. I wish I could have made it as long a view A but I didn't have enough fabric.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

I would recommend it to others as it creates a very pretty and stylish dress. I might sew it again but make a fancier version with pink silk plaid. It would be interesting to see how the front tucks, etc. look with a plaid. If I were to make it again I would use a fabric that isn't as thick.

First Worn:

Running errands on my day off in early June 2011.

Wear Again?

Yes!! It's such a cute dress and I feel very pretty and feminine in it.

Conclusion: Great pattern that requires a little extra effort. I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner.