Butterick 5214 - Vintage

Pattern Description:
MISSES’ JACKET, DRESS AND BELT: Fitted, unlined jacket has collar and lapels, extended shoulders forming cap sleeves and shaped hem. Below mid-knee dress has fitted, self-lined, halter bodice with buttonhole and button closing, flared skirt, left side seam zipper and right side seam pocket. Belt has buckle with prong and eyelets.

Pattern Sizing: 8- 24. I made size 14 with some modifications.

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 instruction were easy to follow. Nothing confusing.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked the vintage style of the dress. The contour of the bodice and the "V" neckline of the halter. I also favored the shape of the jacket. It has a little peplum affect at the waist, which adds to the hips I barely have.

Fabric Used:I used a lightweight floral pique for the dress and and medium weight stretch pique for the jacket. Both purchased from Vogue Fabric on Roosevelt Rd.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:This is my wearable muslin. The dress bodice needs a little tweaking in the bust and back area. I also need to remove excess fabric below the collar bone to the crease of my armpit on the jacket. Here are the changes made on this version.
The Dress:
- I opt not to do a FBA; instead I added 3/4 inch to the front and back of the bodice. Most of the added width was removed to correct the gapping between the bust and underarm area. I eventually remove most of the excess, but some gapping remained. So I ease the area above the bust.

-I added small waist dart to remove some of the width. I still have drag marks from the bust to the waist.

On the next version I will make a slash at the waist area on the bodice to create a larger waist dart and eliminate the excess width above the bust area. Also needed is a sway back adjustment. I noticed a few wrinkles across the back.


- To help hold the back bodice in place, I sewed elastic to the seam line after I understitched the bodice lining.

- Instead of turning up 1 1/2 inch hem, I machine stitched a rolled hem. And added two inches to the bottom.

The Jacket:

-I slashed through the neck and front dart; then spread the pattern 1" for additional move in the bust areas. This required me to make deeper darts. There is a slight pulling in the area.



-Also made a broad shoulder adjustment to the back.


Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, I plan to make this again in a silk dupioni. But wanted to try it in a less expensive fabric before making the final version. And yes, I would recommend it to others with modifications.

Conclusion: This is a easy pattern to sew. But alterations may be needed depending on your body shape.