Summer Dress - Simplicity S9597 and S9552

Happy Friday everyone!

Summer officially arrived about a week ago,  But let me tell you, it has been summer in the Midwest since early June.  The midwestern heat accompanied by the humidity and high pollen is no joke.  We already had temps close to 100 degrees.

All my Chicagoland sewing sista's  know to prepare early before the heat.  This summer dress had been in the works before I actually selected the fabric.  Starting with all the fit adjustments, I like to be ready to just cut and sew.  Such was the case with this beauty. 

Before I get started with the pattern/project review, be warned that this is a lengthy blog post.  So I'm starting with a lot of pictures of the actual dress.  This was a fun project, and I will get a lot of wear out of it.  So, excuse me for the lengthy post. 

I used two patterns to make this summer dress,  Simplicity S9552 for the bodice and Simplicity S9597 for the skirt.

  

 

Pattern Description:  The top S9552-Lined crop top has princess seams, button front straps and separating invisible back zipper.  Wrap skirts have flounce variation, large side front pocket and button closure.  The Skirt S9597- Mimi G's misses' flared ankle length dress and jumpsuit with buttoned back bodice has a shaped midriff tier and cut out dipped back with elastic.  I used size 16 with a lot of modifications.

Pattern Sizing:  Both have size ranging from 6 to 24, which is great. 

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?  The silhouette was close to the Mimi G pattern. Some of the details were different.

Were the instructions easy to follow?  Yes, they were easy to follow.  And of course, I had to create a few of my own as a result of my changes.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I really like the silhouette of Simplicity 9597.  The elasticize back drop waist was interesting.  I didn't like that it was so low and the back bodice band showed too much of the softer side of me. Lol.   As for Simplicity 9552, I actually bought this pattern first and had intended to make the views worn by the model.  The princess seam bodice made the FBA easy to do.  I wasn't interested in showing a lot of exposed midriff.  That was an easy fix.  Overall, I liked the majority of S9552 design lines with the exception of the short bodice.  And the S9597 it's the skirt that I like the most.

Fabric Used:  The fabric I used is a cotton shirting that I bought during the Frocktails shopping day from The Textile Warehouse on West 21st Street in Chicago.  It was only $3.95 per yard.  A good deal for a Robert Kauffman fabric.  I pre-washed, dried, and pressed it right away.  It has a crisp, dry hand and it breathes.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:  As I said, I made quite a few changes.  Let's start with the bodice.  

 

FBA-

 First, I did a full bust adjustment and made a muslin to check the fit.  It was low, so I added about an inch to the top.  I also added about an inch to the side back to balance out the side front and back pieces.  Sometimes the FBA produces so much additional width, the side seam is not where it needs to be.  So, adding more width to the side back offers some room to adjust or take in both side front and back equally.  

 

NOTE:  I made the FBA without considering the length of the bodice of the MiMi G pattern.  Before I attached the S9552 bodice to the S9597 skirt, I cut it to my desired length, which was about two inches longer than the original  bodice of S9597,  I wanted to cover up that little roll on my side back. Lol

 

Back Closure of Bodice- 

I made the button loops for the back closure, same as S9597.  Because of the added length, I had to add two more loops and buttons.

 

Bodice Straps-

With the added inch at the top of the bodice, I didn't need the full length of the straps.  I didn't cut them off though.  I left the length as a design element.  Also, the buttons for the straps are different from the back closure buttons.  I didn't have enough in my stash, and I just did not want to go to the store for more buttons.  Maybe later.

 

Skirt-

I added a few inches to the bottom tier of the skirt.  The low back of the skirt gave me pause.  So I shorten the length of the elastic to draw it up closer my natural waistline.  This was done for comfort and modesty. Wink, wink.

 

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?  I would recommend both patterns to others,  I plan to make the views the model is wearing for S9552. These are good summer outfit patterns for all level sewists.  Definitely, if you have a full bust, do a FBA for a better fit.  You may have to tweak it a little bit, but it is worth it.

Conclusion:   I enjoyed making this dress and will enjoy wearing it throughout the summer.  Throw on a nice hat and sandals, it’s a great vacation outfit.  Also, great for all the festivals around town. 

 Happy Sewing!

 

C