Simplicity 9744 caught my eye with that front pleat and button placket. This will be easy to put on for sure and that makes this design a win and a pattern that I wanted to give a try.
I haven't made a dress for myself in almost a year so I was looking forward to giving this pattern a try. I chose an orange and beige 100% cotton that I found discounted in the home décor department. It was picked to make what I hoped would be a wearable toile. And it is a wearable toile but it's been gifted after I shortened it too much. It's back to the drawing board if I hope to have my own version of Simplicity 9744.
This is basically straight out of the envelope with the exception of adjusting and readjusting the hem length and raising the side pockets three inches. I lengthened the hemline on view C by six inches but then decided to cut five inches and sew a one inch hem. And then I felt it was too short. Maybe lengthening it four inches instead of six would have been fine? The placement of the side pockets were fine.
I would just like to add more ease to the dress back. It was supposed to be cut with a center back seam but I placed it on the fold instead. I would do the same but fan out the dress back pattern piece to give it some extra ease in the hip area. The front with that lovely pleat is perfect.
The fabric was pre-treated with a tumble in the washing machine and dryer. It was steam pressed before hitting the cutting table.
Project Details
Seams: 2.8 straight stitch
Seam finish: Serged
Fabric: 2.5 metres
Buttons: 2 -- 20 mm (3/4")
Additional Tools and Supplies: Cutting table, pins, pin cushion, tailor's chalk, measuring tape, spring-hinged fabric scissors, measuring gauge, iron, ironing board, Janome sewing machine, buttonhole foot, walking foot, threads, Janome Air-threader serger, buttonhole cutter, cutting board, small hammer, hand sewing needle, tailor's wax and many breaks along the way.
Happy Sewing!
Yours looks very nice and even but when I tried to do the pleat first, then the placket like the instructions said, it kept not lining up. A seamstress on Youtube sewing this dress gave me the advice to do the reverse order: placket, then pleat. That worked for me. Glad I was trying it on muslin first!
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