This dress is made with
Simplicity pattern 2250, view A by Cynthia Rowley. The design is cute, fun and flirty but it was very frustrating to assemble. It looks like a simple little dress but the bodice and skirt are both made with asymmetrical pleats. Making all of those little pleats and gathers took so long that I could not wait to finish. The instructions were very detailed but there were some funny things about the pattern. For instance, it instructs NOT to iron the bodice. Also the lining seems too short for the bodice.
When I saw the pattern piece for the bodice, I became nervous about the sizing. I usually cut in between a 14 and 16 but did not want to try that with such complicated pieces. So, not wanting my dress to be too small, I cut the larger size. So, of course my dress was too big. To correct the bagginess, I added bust darts to the outside of the straps along the top of the bodice and darts to the back waist.
It's a cute, fun dress and it turned out okay. I hope that I get a chance to wear it sometime (which is always the best test of success).
The process of making the dress was so frustrating I would not want to make it again and would hesitate to recommend the pattern unless you are looking for a challenge.
