The Pattern: Simplicity 9742 - Button front dress in 3 styles
I do love a good dress! I have so many dress patterns and a ton in my closet that are on a semi regular rotation. My favorite is a maxi dress. Just give me a dress that sweeps the floor and that I need to pick up when I walk up the stairs! Unfortunately, this dress does fall just 4 inches short of that. Read on to see my full thoughts on this garment!
Why I decided to make this pattern:
The box pleats, A-line silhouette, and the different views pulled me in! I wanted to also practice making button holes as I am not very good and the idea of making a button hole strikes fear into my heart. The look of the dress really fits my style, so I bought the pattern. Mind you, this was after I decided not to buy Simplicity patterns any longer. Every time I say that, they pull me back in with something cute.
The Construction Instruction:
The instructions are only just okay. The reason why I do not like Simplicity instructions is they usually assume you know what you are doing in the first place. I think this does a disservice to novice makers. There is no real hurt in explaining things a little more. If we know it, then we will skim over it. I use the instructions just to see if I need to do anything different in the construction.
The instructions for the shoulder straps were a little annoying. I had to take the straps apart several times to get them into the right place for my shoulders. Should I have tried it on several times with pins to get the fit right before just moving ahead and sewing it into place? Well … yes. So that was my bad. I usually try on my makes as I go along to make sure I do not need to take anything in or out before the final stitch or top stitching.
The skirt portion of the pattern is also a bit short. Again, I should have measured this to make sure it was going to give me that sweeping skirt that I love in a maxi dress! Technically it is still a maxi as it hit just above my ankle. I just find it a bit of an awkward length for me. The dress looks just fine, but I just like them a little longer.
I will also add that Simplicity patterns do have a larger ease than the indie patterns I have been using as of late. Most patterns will have a positive ease (used for more stable fabrics with no stretch) or a negative ease (mostly for stretch fabrics). A positive ease means there is a little more fabric so you can move around in your garment without the need of a stretch. Negative means there is less fabric and there will need to be a stretch in your fabric to fit correctly. So if your upper arm circumference is 13 inches, a positive ease will add a half or full inch to that circumference. A negative ease will subtract a half to a full inch since your fabric will stretch around your upper arm.
Most patterns will tell you the seam allowance as well in the instructions. I have a very bad habit of never looking at the seam allowance before I start sewing. Full disclosure, I only just looked at the seam allowance just now! Lucky for me it is ⅝ an inch for the seam allowance. That is my usual go to allowance anyway. So now you know about pattern ease and seam allowance!
I also did not use the button guide that was given in the pattern. I have a nifty button spacer (Amazon Affiliate Link) that I like to use so I can add or subtract the amount of buttons I use. This is really handy and I suggest anyone who wants to sew more to pick it up! I think I picked mine up from Amazon several years ago. It was around $10 at the time.
My Overall Thoughts:
The is very comfortable dress. I used a stretch cotton sateen for my fabric in what I can only describe as a sherbert popsicle pattern. I did this because I do like a little stretch in my garments. Usually, this type of fabric does not have a big amount of stretch. Just enough to make you feel comfortable if you had a big meal or maybe a few big meals and now you need to have smaller meals because that one dress is not the only thing that is a bit snug in your wardrobe.
I will likely make this again in the A version with the sleeves. That would make a cute transitional spring or fall dress. I think I would also add a bit more length to it if I make another maxi dress. It is just short enough to be a little awkward for me.
Product links from amazon:
Simplicity 9742 https://amzn.to/4jlOqv3
Button Spacer: https://amzn.to/4ifnKvh