Simplicity 9462: Women's Lounge Dress

The second plaid project is done! Actually it was finished last week, but it took me a little while to type up all the notes. There are definitely more for this one than there were for the last project.

For starters, let me just say I love the sleeves. I wasn't sure about the bell shape gathered at the wrists, but it turned out to be very easy, and quite comfortable to wear; the elastic portion isn't tight at all, and holds the fabric enough that the sleeves don't dip into my tea when I reach for my cup. I made view A, so there's only one band of elastic. 

That being said, I did have quite a few issues while making this pattern. Because it's a lounge dress, I wasn't worried about an exact fit, so I checked the ease and the length, and that was it. I did spend some time trying to match up the stripes in the plaid. The sleeves took some pondering, but in the end, I used the single notches on the sleeve seams to match the horizontal lines. Now this isn't part of the notes, but I want to give it a quick mention: the center back seam line is not quite cut on the grainline. It has a very slight angle to it, which makes it challenging to match stripes/plaid along the vertical lines. In the end, I gave up on that and positioned it wherever it would fit with the horizontal lines matching. It's also worth noting that I needed an extra 2 yards for the sleeves. I'm not sure if it's because I was trying to match stripes, or because I was using one of the larger sizes (I cut this in size L), but I did have to run out mid-cutting to get more fabric. Fortunately, the store still had some left, or I would have been in trouble.

S9462 Pattern Notes:

• Serge or overcast the edges of the center front seam line separately, before sewing the panels together. Serge without trimming the fabric, so the seam allowances won't be effected. It's so much easier than doing it after the seam is sewn.


• Add 1/4" to the un-notched and bottom edges of the facing piece when cutting it if you're using flannel fabric. This allows some extra fabric for folding and makes it easier to catch the edges, since each fold takes up at least 1/8" of fabric.
• Cut the interfacing 1/2" shorter than the fabric pieces on the bottom (this includes the extra 1/4" mentioned above), at the notched end of the facing. This helps reduce bulk


• 
  Add 1/4" to both long edges of the neck ruffle piece when cutting. Then, when attaching it to the
  lounge dress, make sure to have the ruffle's raw edge extend 1/4" past the neckline's raw edge, and use a 3/4" seam allowance from the ruffle's raw edge. This way you'll have that 1/4" extra for the casing. I think this mostly applies if you're using flannel. I haven't tried this pattern with a lighter-weight fabric, but if I was, I'd probably start with this and then trim it down if necessary. Better safe than sorry.


• Add 1/8" - 1/4" to sleeve hem if using flannel, to allow for the folds taking up extra fabric.


• Fold neck ruffle edge 1/4" under to make the casing. This, combined with the 1/4" added to the long edges when cutting the piece, will allow the extra space for the next step. If you're using thinner fabric, you might need to trim that edge a little if 1/4" leaves too much space in the casing.
  


• Use cotton twill tape instead of elastic in the neckline casing. This one is huge! I absolutely could not get the neckline to work with elastic. The weight of all that flannel caused it to just stretch until it didn't stay up, even with 3/8" elastic. Maybe it would be okay with a gauzy fabric? I'm not sure, but after all the trouble I had with it, I'd just go straight to the twill tape either way.
• I used 1/2" 100% cotton twill tape, which was about $1.80 on sale at Hobby Lobby (so it was a relatively cheap fix).
  

  
  
• Fold the tape in half so it's 1/4" and press. You can fold the cut ends under once before folding/pressing. Then stitch the tape together along the edge opposite the fold, so it won't unfold and twist.
• Run it through the casing just like the directions say to do with the elastic. I put a safety pin in the opposite end so it wouldn't pull all the way through and get lost in the casing. You won't be able to stretch the edges to trim them close to the basting, so just remove the safety pin when you're ready to baste, and tuck the ends into the casing a bit so the facing folds over it properly.


• Double-check the hem length once everything else is done, before stitching. I measured 55" from the back of my neck, and it seemed okay, but when I tried on the lounge dress with a 5/8" hem as indicated, the back edge was dragging on the floor. I had to turn it up an extra inch. For reference, I'm 5' 6". 

Although the back of the pattern envelope said it was suitable for flannel, it really seemed as though this pattern was designed for much thinner fabrics. I feel like I would have had far fewer problems with, say, a rayon fabric or something like that. I am glad I was able to save it though! When I hit that neckline problem, I was ready to give up on the whole thing. But I couldn't stand the thought of wasting 6 yards of fabric. Especially when it was so warm when I was trying it on. It's definitely nice and cozy as a  flannel winter nightgown. And I did learn some new techniques while sewing it. It was my first attempt at button loops instead of button holes, first elastic cuffs, and first front facing that didn't run the whole length of the front. Actually, the facing part was a bit hard to decipher from the directions; here's a link to a video by Simplicity McCall's UK that shows very clearly how to attach it. It's the one I used to see how to sew it.

I hope all these notes help you out if you decide to make this pattern. Good luck!