Review: Simplicity 1755, View A & B – The Picnic Dress

This is another Leanne Marshall pattern with so much potential! I made two dresses from this pattern which both use classic sewing techniques in new and interesting ways, such as pleating under the collar and colour blocking.

Pattern: Simplicity 1755. View A: Fabric: Romance Corded Lace (Spotlight), Lining: Bemsilk (Spotlight); Shoes: London Rebel. View B: Fabric: Cotton Gingham (Backstreet Bargains), Contrasting Fabric: Poplin (Spotlight); Shoes: Cheery, Miz Mooz.

What to love about this pattern 

View A 

This pattern is lovely for making a lace dress. This is the type of lace dress which doesn't leave any raw edges, so it's not the best lace for a scalloped edge. I prefer lace dresses of this style because the edges won't fray and look tacky. Since the dress is fully lined, you don't need to worry about being able to see fraying and ugly raw edges through the lace, it's all hidden by the lining.

View B 

I love the vintage look of this dress. It reminds me of the cute dresses I used to wear as a girl. I'm really proud of how well I aligned the check print in the bodice of this dress. You can hardly tell that there's a seam at the centre of the bodice! This pattern is well suited for check and tartans because there's no pesky shoulder seams or sleeves to throw off the alignment. Just align the vertical seams. Did I mention that both of these views have pockets?

What I don't like about this pattern 

View A 

Nothing really.

View B 

There's a few mistakes in the instructions for the sleeves of this pattern. The loop for the button should be placed on the small dot on the sleeve, not the large dot. I also recommend  making the loop piece twice, this piece isn't long enough to make all the button loops required. 

Changes that I made 

View A 

Instead of making the belt I used a pretty contrasting ribbon.  I don’t recommend making the belt using cotton like I did for View B; the ribbon I used in View A doesn't wrinkle as easily.

View B 

I made a few changes to improve this pattern. For the sleeves, the pattern says to sew a button on each side of the turn-up sleeve. Instead, I just sewed one button only the edge of the slit, so that the button can be used when the sleeve is rolled up or down. I also used a button to close the slit in the front of the dress. 

What I could have done better 

View A 

The lace I used turned out to be not of a great quality. The cording in the lace rips when I sewed over it and exposed the white cord underneath. Luckily the rips in the lace were hidden by the lining. If the lace rips it's best to hand stitch it back together. This pattern suggest braiding threads to make the loops for the collar buttons. I made the loops too thin which tangled easily. I suggest following the instructions for making fabric loops from View B.

View B 

Nothing really, I think this project turned out perfect! The collar on View B is much more crisp than View A. This might be due to using a firmer interfacing for this View B.

Difficulty

View A 

Sewing lace can be challenging, especially if you're using lace that rips and slips. Luckily  the lace pieces on this pattern are sewn directly onto the lining before you sew the seams. This makes it easier to make darts and gives more structure to the dress. I highly recommend this dress for people learning to sew lace.

View B 

The pattern itself is quite easy but it was challenging to align the check print. My method alignment was to give priority to the centre front and back seams. From there I tried to align the side seams so that the stripes were on relatively the same level, even if the colour of the squares didn't match. Overall it worked really well and I think I learnt a lot!

The Verdict 

I highly recommend this pattern if you're looking to make a designer dress! 

View A 

View A has the best design and instructions for lace that I've come across, sewing this view is a great way to learn to use lace. This is a lovely lace dress pattern with none of those pesky fraying edges. If you're on a budget you can make this dress from cheaper laces like stretch and corded lace. I love wearing this to events because it's so feminine and gorgeous. 

• 
  
• Instruction Clarity: 5/5. The instructions are great for this dress.
• Fit: 4/5. The armhole seems to gap a little at the bust but this is an easy fix. 
• Design Elegance: 5/5. Clearly this dress was designed with sewing lace in mind. Beware that the armholes are lower than what the pattern pictures show, at least for my body.

• Final Product: 5/5. I've worn this dress to several semi-formal events and I've always felt stylish.
• Overall: 4.75/5.  

View B 

I love gingham dresses, and they're cheap to make too! This dress is spunky, yet demure enough for me to wear it wherever I wanted. The pattern instructions have mistakes, but now you know how to avoid them!  

• Instruction Clarity: 3/5. The instructions for the sleeves are poor. You need to place the loop on the small dot and hem the sleeve just below. 
• Fit: 5/5. Fits perfectly, no tailoring needed. I love that the raglan sleeves eliminate fitting problems for my small shoulders.
• Design Elegance: 5/5. The design is unique and adorable. 
• Final Product: 5/5. This dress looks gorgeous and I wear it everywhere. 
• Overall: 4.5/5.