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.
A Notion to Sew 
Thanks Pam, that helps a lot!
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Thank you, Phoebe. The size 12 finished waist measurement on this particular dress is about 30\”. My waist is 29\”, so that gives me 1/2\” ease on each side. I'm comfortable with that amount of ease, but I would not go for more than that as this is supposed to be a more fitted silhouette in the waist. Good luck with your new dress! 🙂
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Hi Pam,Lovely dress! I am planning on making my own but I have never used a simplicity pattern before. Could you help me out with the sizing? I was wondering what the finished waist measurement is for the size 12. Thanks for your help!Phoebe
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Thank you, Jennifer, and congratulations to you on your awards. 🙂
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Thanks, Doobee.
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Hi Pam! I nominated you for the Liebster award! Details on my blog 🙂 The Musings of a Dedicated Housefiancee
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What a super Easter (and Summer) dress!!! And just love the hemline detail. Another idea to add to my list of 'must-try'…..
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Good question, that one is apparently worded incorrectly. Basically, you are simply understitching the lining. Step 8 states \”to understitch press facing away from garment\”. That should read 'to understitch press lining away from bodice. The instructions then go on to say \”Facing side up, stitch close to seam…\” It should read \”Lining side up, stitch close to seam…\”In a nutshell, just replace the word facing with lining. I hope this helps you. If not, let me know and I will email a picture to you. 🙂
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Could you give me any pointers on step 8? I can not figure our what they are saying.
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I'm so glad the weather cleared for you to take pictures to share. What a cute dress! I just love the fabric! It looks perfect for Easter but, I agree, it will be great all through the summer.
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