Sew: The Dinner Party Dress - Simplicity 2580 with Vogue 8379 sleeves

Nothing says "wear me to a nice dinner party at Kendall's Brasserie and Bar in Downtown Los Angeles" quite  like Simplicity 2580 with sleeves.

"What what?" You might find yourself asking. "Simplicity 2580 doesn't have sleeves! It comes with those kind of kiddy playtime flutter sleeve caps! Those aren't sleeves - those are arm cap sunburn protectors!"

But, Vogue 8379 has sleeves. Perfect 3/4th sleeves. Connect the dots. Knit to knit. Can it work?

Well, in my best Kool-Aid man voice, "Ohhhh yeah..."

 

I had a delightful time wearing Midnight Goddess (Simplicity 2580, View C) at my University's alumni mixer at XIV by Micheal Mina. Fantastic restaurant with a wonderful and friendly wait staff and a delightfully conversational doorman (who is great to talk to while waiting for you car) made for a great evening. The color, the feel of the fabric on my skin, the JC Penney body shaper (it's a knit dress, after all), the complimentary wine - it was a perfect night with a dress that made me feel feminine and beautiful.

Upon returning from my night out, I stared at the red pointe double knit bottom mishap of Sew: Mashup Fail= Simplicity 3503 halter bodice with Simplicity 2580 waist and skirt combo. I knew that I had 2 yards of recently purchased red pointe from JoAnn's, waiting to be used, was ready to go to salvage the Bastard Child. Originally, I was going to make a birthday dress for my mother from it. But, since I decided to give her Sew: It's a Wrap! - Butterick 5030 Wrap Dress as her present instead, I had to ponder some key ideas. What to do with the red that I haven't done before?

Instantly, I knew that I wanted to challenge myself. I wanted to create Simplicity 2580 with sleeves. But, how to make it the laziest and quickest way possible? Why not from another knit based pattern with full sleeves.



Of course, there are a few corrections I've considered making. Honestly, I feel that the double knit is too heavy to drape properly with for view C tab pull down. One would have to put the dress on and do select 1/4th" take ins in select areas to compensate for smoothness.  I'll take that into consideration for the maxi dress length version that I'll make next time. Lighter will be better.

I also want to make a white dress, as I've never owned a completely white dress. Plus, I have a fantastic pair of bright blue heels that are begging to be worn in a complimentary manner.

Regardless,  I'm ridiculously proud of my confident continued forays into sewing.

Project:	Simplicity 2580 with Vogue 8379 sleeves
Medium:	Sewing
Description:	Misses formal dresses in 2 lengths with different top choices. View C with sleeves from Vogue 8379, knit wrap dress.
Pattern Sizing:	20 bodice, 20 - 22 gradient from below bust to hip. 20 sleeve
Were the instructions easy to follow?	This was my 3rd time doing this pattern. I didn't even look at them
Sourcing:	Fabric from JoAnn's Etc. Sew Classics Knits, Tango Red Ponte Roma. $12.99 per yard.
True to Illustration	True to my photograph :-)
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:	Added sleeves.
Tips and Techniques:	Baste where needed as close to the edge as possible For the sleeves, do two rows for easing. It will help your sleeves go in perfectly.
Things I Would Change If I Made It Again:	I need to do a small amount of stitching to balance out minor pulling in random areas.
Conclusion:	If you can't already tell, I love this dress. It's a wonderful pattern who's versatility is only dependent on your imagination and knit fabric choice. I'm really excited to make this dress in the long skirt view. It will be wonderful for a nice night out at the Hollywood Bowl or just being happy wearing something I made well.