Red Red Dress Part 1 {Simplicity 2209}

I have a new favorite dress.  No, it is not this $168 dress sold by Anthropologie, but a little dress I made with Simplicity 2209 by Lisette.  It is so sweet and comfy and cute and different…the list goes on and on of all the good qualities.   Over the next few Saturdays, I would like to share with you my sewing experience. 

I bought this pattern on a whim while visiting JoAnn which was having a sale on Simplicity patterns.  They were a dollar each so I could not resist.  I had no fire to make it immediately, but when I went home I discovered that the red fabric I wanted to sew something with was not long enough for any other pattern.  So, fate brought us together.

It is always important to read the pattern packet before you begin your project.  Read both the back of and the instructions inside the pattern.  There will be additional instructions printed on the pattern.  By reading the instructions, I knew the dress was unlined so if I wanted to line it, I would have to have enough fabric to cut an additional bodice.  I chose to put lining in because I did not want to have to deal with interfacing and my fabric was not that heavy.  

Directions are included on the pattern pieces themselves. 


The fabric I selected was three yards of red cotton broadcloth with a sateen finish.  It is medium weight and hangs easily.  In addition to the fabric, I used an invisible zipper and hem lace.  The total cost for supplies was approximately $40.  A very big difference from the Anthro version.  I know the fabric is not as whimsical as their version, but I can pair it with a number of accessories.  I just received the perfect pair of shoes in the mail today!  Turquois and read?  Isn’t that fun?

The sizing of the pattern seems to be pretty perfect.  I usually wear a size 8 and nearly always sew a size 16 for myself.  Check the measurement on the back of the packet and on the pattern.  Lisette has included ease measurement for various parts.  You may need to adjust after doing a bit of research.



Patterns always give suggestions on how to lay the pieces out for cutting.  Before you cut, always lay all the pieces out.  Sometimes there will be variations, as was my case.  My fabric, which I prewashed to avoid shrinking on the final product, was a bit too small width wise.  Also, since I need to cut two bodices, I had to be creative to ensure I had enough fabric.  It is also very nice to lay your fabric out completely flat. Wrinkles may disfigure your garment and make it difficult to sew since things might not match.  When you have the layout figured out, pin your pattern to the fabric and carefully cut it out.  Be extremely careful around curves.  In some cases it may be easier to cut a section of fabric from the larger portion.

Once the fabric has been cut, mark your fabric with the appropriate tailoring marks.  In this pattern, there are two darts for each piece.   Darts should always be perfectly marked so there is symmetry.   It might be a little off if one seam is longer than the other.  I use a hole punch to cut circles in the pattern and mark with tailors chalk.  

A note about using tailors chalk:  test your fabric before you mark your pieces.  Sometimes the chalk doesn’t come off your fabric and you will have stains.   

Click here for the second part of making Simplicity 2209, the Red Red Dress.   

For more, visit patternreview.com or the solittletimecrafts.blogspot post.