Simplicity 2215

Here's my Easter dress:

I used a beautiful, almost batiste-quality, 100% cotton fabric in a pretty springtime floral print from Yellowbird Fabrics in Salt Lake City.  The bodice lining is 100% polyester hang-free lining from Hancock Fabrics.

I only made two minor design changes.  The first was that I chose to not add the pockets.  I’m not a big fan of pockets in dresses and skirts, so I left them off.  On my frame, they add attention and sometimes bulk at the hipline, ugh!  The second change I made was to use ruffled fabric as a design element along the hemline.  I've included a tutorial of my process for adding the ruffled fabric.

I like that this dress has both a side zip and front buttons.  Side zips in a dress are a good thing because if I happen to get the zipper insertion off a smidge, it’s not so noticeable since it is buried under my arm!  I also like that it has the added benefit of front buttons.  The two entry openings make the dress very easy to slide on over the head.  The bodice is close fitting, so it is necessary to have as much ease as possible in getting the dress over the head.  It also helps to not mess up the hair!

I love the fit of this dress.  I made the size 12 and I did not have to alter any of the pattern pieces.  It is a very girly dress and looks very “Eastery”, but I will also be able to wear it all summer with flip flops or strappy sandals.  The fabric I chose is extremely lightweight so it should be very cool in our hot summer months.  A heavier weight fabric, such as denim as shown on the pattern envelope, could be used for a year-round version to be worn with sweaters, jackets, or long sleeve tees.  If you are not yet comfortable with inserting invisible zippers and/or buttons and buttonholes, I would not recommend this pattern until you have some experience with those techniques. 

Here's a shot of the side zip:

And here's the buttons and buttonholes:

I did not follow the pattern instructions for either technique, so I can’t address how clear-cut the instructions are.  But the buttons and buttonholes are up front and center so they must be sewn with some precision. 

This is a great pattern and if it is your style I would encourage you to give it a try.