The Earthy Tones of Simplicity 2282

Thank you to all who left a comment on my last post. I plan to tackle the resizing of the dress sometime this week. I thought it would be good to take a step to think about it for continuing. For sure, I'll do my best to finish it for the fashion show.

So this weekend's project was to sew up Simplicity 2282 and Vogue 8644. I finished the dress, but not the jacket. I just need to hem and press it.


Pattern Description: Misses dress with sleeve variations and separate fur collar and bib necklace.

Pattern Sizing: 4 to 20

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

Were the instructions easy to follow? Typical instructions. There was nothing difficult about them.

I was surprised by the instruction for joining the front and side front. Instead of stay stitching the front, clipping and spreading to match notches of side front. The instructions stated: "With RIGHT sides together, pin front to side front, matching notches and large dots. Baste, easing front to fit between notches." I didn't like that process. So, I basted the side front easing between the notches then pinned/sewed the front and side front together.

When it came to sewing the side seams of the dress, I finished the front dress as one piece. Then I sewed the bodice back to the back skirt. Next, I inserted the invisible zipper. For me, this was easier. I didn't have the entire dress to handle as I inserted the zipper. Secondly, I was able to make adjustment along the side seam without removing the stitching at the waist. These changes were easier for me.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
First the good -
Likes - Pleats at the shoulder


Point at the center back of the skirt


Pleats at the waist


I like the bib necklace and the fur collar. These were two things that motivated me to buy the pattern. To complement my dress, I made the bib necklace. One side is green and the other gray. DD had some rhinestones in her stash that were perfect for it. The bib was super easy to make and didn't take a lot of time.





Dislikes - I really like the Project Runway patterns. These days I'm buying more and more of them. But most of the dress patterns are unlined dresses. And most PR patterns only include one garment. Eg., a skirt, jacket, or vest. Sometimes the illustrations include complete outfits. Quite a few times I wished the pattern included the complete outfit. Maybe that's asking for a little too much. Okay that's it for dislikes.

Fabric Used: I don't remember the fiber content. So I'll leave it at assorted fiber to be on the safe side. This fabric was not been in the stash for long. I purchased it a few weeks ago from The Chicago Fabric Sales Company on Wabash (Downtown Chicago).


Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

- FBA
- Prominent shoulder blades




- Added 1 inch to length of sleeve
- Added 2 inches to length of skirt



Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Maybe. And yes I recommend it to others. It's a nice pattern to sew. All the pieces went together with no problems.

Conclusion: Very nice pattern to sew. It has some great design elements.