Simplicity 2360 - Success!

This is my second attempt at sewing this pattern. I'm too stubborn to allow sewing failures to get the better of me, and my previous problems centered around poor fabric choice. This can be a common issue when you purchase fabric according to price point, like me!

Anywho - as the title suggests, this time I succeeded in producing a pretty darn cute dress from this pattern.

What do you think?

I managed to squeeze this dress from just over 1 meter of fabric (150cm wide). It was the last on the roll at Spotlight and was marked down from $12.95 (I think) to $5 and was then 30% off - bargain! Here's the tight pattern placement. This is a poly charmeuse and my first successful project with a slinky fabric.

I've been sitting on this patten for a while (originally blogged in July), waiting to find the right fabric. I've also been hesitant to start this frock as I knew I was going to struggle, with patience and skill, to neatly hem those round flounces. Then I noticed on Stitchy Witch's review, that she roll hemmed them on her over locker and I knew I had no more excuses.

To avoid buying over priced thread for my over locker at Spotlight, I just purchased two cheap 500m Birch spools in grey, and changed just my upper and lower looper threads. I think they look quite nice and no different to shop bought dresses with similar design features.

I really love a contrast belt on a frock, as you may have noticed, but am unsure what to use. This ribbon doesn't quite go, so I might keep a look out for a different option.

Pattern modifications. Other than roll hemming the flounces on my over locker, the other other change to the pattern was to lengthen the bodice by about 1 inch. Other reviewers noted that the bodice was slightly short, and I do have a long waist, so it seemed like the right thing to do. It actually sits right on my waist. I also used 1/8 elastic, as that was all I had ready to go.

Pattern problems.  I am a little disappointed with the neck and arm binding. The pattern calls for this to be interfaced, I'm not sure why and would like to know. I think the facing I used was, ever so slightly, too heavy for the fabric, so if you look at the close up of the picture of the flounce, you can see it sits away from the body, just a bit. This only happens at the joins of the binding, where there is an additional two layers of fabric and facing. As this fabric seems to have little memory after it is pressed, it seems to happen just here regardless of what I do. Next time I'll know to trim those seams closer to the stitching and use a lighter facing.

My recommendations for those wanting to sew this frock: I think most people would struggle to neatly hem the flounces in a traditional way. I'd definitely recommend using an over locker if you have one.

Will I make it again? Well maybe. I think that I might use a smaller scale print and possibly also bring the front neckline down a little. I wanted to do this with this frock, but was concerned about re-drafting the front neck binding. I guess next time if I copy the neck line of an existing pattern that I have, then I'll be able to use their binding measurements. Next time...

Pattern review is here.