Pattern Review: Simplicity 8545 View A and D – Embroidered Gown

The fabric is what makes this dress! I’ve always believed that the most beautiful fabrics have to be make into simple garments to best show off the fabric. Save this pattern for your best lace and mesh fabrics. 

Pattern: Simplicity 8545; Overlay Dress Fabric: embroidered mesh (Spotlight), Slip Fabric: satin (Spotlight), Shoes: Topshop.

What I love about this pattern 

The design of this dress is simple, but it works really well with beautiful laces, especially if you have scalloped edges. Scallop edges add beautiful design detail and you don't have to hem the edges. I like the bias binding on the neckline and sleeve opening too because it adds a nice contrast to the scalloped lace. As usual Simplicity patterns has a brilliant fit around the bust and shoulders! 

I tried to put extra technical sewing effort into this dress. I didn’t want any ugly raw edges to show through the mesh and I tried to pattern match the fabric wherever I could. I’m thrilled this how this dress turned out and I think it shows how far my sewing ability has come along.

What I don't like about this pattern 

The fitting changes I had to make were minimal for both the overlay dress and slip. I made a tolie beforehand for the overlay dress because I knew it would be difficult to unpick mesh. For the overlay dress I made the front darts deeper to decrease the waist and I took in the side seam slightly at the armhole. For the slip dress I took in the side seams to make the waist more fitting.  

Changes that I made 

I had so much fun experimenting with sewing lace! I followed most of the basic instructions and added details such as binding the seams and french seams, detailed below:

Sewing Techniques for Lace and Mesh fabrics:

1. 1. If your lace has beading like mine then you’ll need to clip off all beads within 2cm (6/8”) of the raw edges. 



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2. 2. Cut the bottom edge of the skirt on the scallop and pattern match it. This process will appear in a future video of mine!  
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3. 3. Make French seams for all seam except the centre back seam and waist seam. French seams a super easy too.  

1. a. Sew the seam at 5mm (2/8”) with the wrong sides of the fabric together. 

2. b. Bring the right sides of the seam together, folding along the seam you just made. Iron the seam flat. Sew along the seam again at 1.5cm. 
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4. 4. Bind the centre back seam, zipper and waist seam in matching organza. The organza blends in with the lace. I find this easier than binding the seams with lace because the lace is too thick. 

1. a. I bought about 0.5m (0.55 yd) of organza. Cut strips of fabric diagonal (bias) to the selvages which are 3cm wide. Cut a new pieces and sew them together at the short end 

2. b. Pin the long edge of the binding to the raw edge of the seam. Sew together are 1.5 cm.  

3. c. Fold up the other long edge of the binding by 5 mm (2/8”) and press it with an iron.  

4. fold the binding in half over the raw edge of the seam. 
5. d. Topstitch over all layers of the binding or hand sew the last edge of the binding down with a ladder stitch.

What I could have done better 

I couldn’t angle the straps on the slip as nicely as the pattern shows, so I sewed each strap straight up from. This dress is also very difficult to unzip as the head has issues moving past the embroidery. I’m not sure how to fix this because the embroidery is just too thick and I can’t pick it off. I’d recommend using buttons instead of an invisible zipper if your mesh has thick embroidery.  

Difficulty 

The pattern itself is relatively easy, but working with mesh/lace can be tough. Go beyond the pattern instructions and use the tips I gave you to make it technically stunning! The only other tip I can give is to double check what you're doing before you sew anything because mesh rips when you try unpicking it. To make this dress you'll need to know simple sewing techniques such as gathering, sewing in sleeves and inserting an invisible zipper.

The Verdict 

I would normally find the design of this pattern boring, but it really works well for laces with scallop edges! It would also look amazing with any other border embroidered meshes. This is truly a special occasion dress which can be made quite quickly and easily! I'll be reusing the slip as a nightie too.

• Instruction Clarity: 5/5. Detailed instructions with lots of pictures. I think beginners will have no problem following them.
• Fit: 4/5. Minimal changes to the bust and waist for both views.
• Design Elegance: 4/5. More design options would great. The tops and other dress weren’t very different from the design I made. 

• Final Product: 5/5. With some extra care you can turn some beautiful fabric into a beautiful gown. 
• Overall: 4.5/5. Will I use this pattern again? Not unless I have more beautiful mesh, but this pattern sure makes a one hit wonder!