Like many others, I have finally sewn up a Lisette Portfolio dress, aka Simplicity 2245.

This is the dress version – there is also a top and a tunic – made from soft denim. You’ve already seen this denim plenty of times – I used it in these dresses and this bag. And I still have some left! Not bad for an op-shop purchase of around $10. The orange sleeve bands and neck trim come from Ikea. Because it’s fairly heavy weight, I didn’t interface any of it.

I rather like the buttoned opening on the back, even though it’s not really necessary. This goes over my head fine without the buttons being undone.

But I think that my favourite part of this dress is the way that the front princess seams extend into pockets! Just adorable and so practical!

This is in size 12, without any alterations other than taking a two inch hem and accidentally cutting the sleeve bands narrower than I was meant to. I used the blind hemming stitch on my machine and you can barely see it. I think that it is time to explore the functionality of my machine a little further and use a few more of the specialty stitches and the specialty feet.

I recommend this pattern – it seems to look good on most people, and has lovely details. I’ll possibly even use it again! The pattern also includes a pair of pants, which I haven’t seen made up all that often but are a nice slimline shape. Very versatile and a little unusual.

But there is one problem with this dress – did you wonder about the title of this blog post? When I was sewing this up at Sewjourn, my gorgeous friend Megan exclaimed “oh my, I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but in that fabric your dress really reminds me of a prison smock…”

Just call me Bea.