I bought this blue and black border printed fabric from GJ’s a long time ago.  I don’t quite know why – it is certainly quite unusual and not my usual style.  It must have been massively reduced.  Anyway, recently I combined it with Simplicity 2584 and with some judicious cutting and pattern piece placement I ended up with this dress.

This is a lengthened version of view C. There was a lot that I liked about this pattern, especially the shaped feature around the front neckline and the puffed lower sleeve. The zip on the back is applied to the outside of the dress, which is a common feature in ready-to-wear at the moment. I found the zip at Darn Cheap Fabrics.  It’s difficult to see in these photos but it is a black and white stripe.

Unfortunately, this dress is a little bit tight! I’ve been eating inappropriately a lot over the past few months (that is, eating loads of chocolate) and unsurprisingly I’ve gained a few kilos. Pity I didn’t measure myself before I made the dress!

I checked the seams carefully to see if I could let it out but sadly I’d overlocked them together and there was no allowance left. This will have to be inspiration to stay off the chocolate and do some more exercise! It’s wearable, just, but not at all comfortable.

I might use this pattern again, but would raise the neckline slit a little – it’s very low as drafted – and would double-check the flat pattern measurements against my own.  In the meantime, check out all those cowboys in the print!