Review | Simplicity 3803 Threads Collection Day Gown

Pattern Sizing: 4-20. I made a size 12 so I’d have enough room in the bust.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing? Yes!

Were the instructions easy to follow? The bodice came together quite easily. First you construct the outside portion of the bodice, then the lining, and then you sew the two together and turn them right side out. Then you gather under the bust and attach the midriff. So far so easy.

I also added a skirt lining that hangs free from the dress. I simply sewed the skirt seams together (sans the ruffle and using French seams), hemmed the lining, and then basted the right side of the skirt lining to the wrong side of the outer skirt.

Then I added the ruffle, and this is where it got tricky. The ruffle is three large rectangles that you join together at the sides, hem, and then gather at the top. The instructions tell you to gather in one long stitch starting from any given point and going all the way around. This, however, made gathering the ruffle and attaching it to the skirt quite unwieldy. If I were to do it again, I would sew gathering stitches for each three sections. That would make the process much more manageable.

After the skirt is completed, you gather the top of the skirt and attach it to the midriff. The instructions don’t make it very clear that you need to gather the front of the skirt enough to fit in-between the dots in the front of the midriff. so essentially, the middle panel of the skirt comprises a (middle) third of the front view of your skirt. You have to look at the line drawing to catch this.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like the look of this gown. I really like the fact that the bodice is lined and has nice neat arm holes. I think the skirt is very lovely with the ruffle, and its fullness makes the gown very comfortable.

Fabric Used: Dress: off-white cotton gauze, Lining: off-white polyester lining (the soft kind), both from Hancock Fabrics–oh! and cluny lace.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: As I stated before, I combined bodice A with skirt C — only because I don’t like halter tops!

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I might sew this again, and I’m debating on whether to sew View A (w/o the ruffle) or the View B. I would definitely recommend this dress. It would be suitable for many different occasions.