Simplicity 8014 Pattern Review

How's January been treating you so far? It's not been too bad for me! I've made a successful start on a couple of my Make Nine projects, and today I have the first one completed and ready to show you. Here's my Simplicity 8014 shirt dress...

Simplicity 8014 is a vintage shirt dress pattern featuring a full length dress with collar and long sleeves, knee length dress with slim or flared skirt, and mini dress with collar and shirt tail hem, and a tie belt for all options. If you're a fan of shirt dresses, with all those different options to mix and match this is a pretty good value pattern (particularly if you get it on sale as I did!).

I basically made view C, but with the long sleeves and collar from view A. I also omitted the patch pockets on the chest, because this dress already has in-seam pockets and I much prefer them.

In terms of sizing, I used a size 16 at the bust, blending out to an 18 at the waist and hips. Those are the sizes recommended for my measurements, and they worked out quite nicely. There is a bit of ease built into the pattern, and this straighter version does look a little boxy on me if I don't have the belt on, but I think you need some ease in this style of dress - without it personally I'd constantly be worrying about pulling on the buttons.

The only adjustments I made were to add length to the pattern pieces - an inch above the waist and two inches at the hemline. These are fairly standard adjustments for me because I'm slightly taller (around 5' 8") than most patterns are drafted for. Because I'd lengthened the pattern, I also altered the button placement and I think I've possibly used an extra button or two compared to what's called for in the pattern.

The fabric I used is some lovely needlecord from Seasalt - sadly it's no longer available because this is one of their prints from autumn/winter 2017/8 that I was lucky enough to pick up for a bargain price in a sale last summer. (Side note: does anyone else now walk round Seasalt shops looking for clothes made in the fabrics they have for sale so you can see/feel what they're like, or is that just me?!).

The instructions were clear and easy to follow. With all the options in this pattern, for the version that I was making the instructions do frequently refer back to the instructions for other versions rather than write them all out repeatedly, but that's not too much hassle. As this is a commercial pattern, it doesn't hold your hand quite as much as some indie patterns would, but the instructions are still perfectly thorough.

I really enjoy making shirt dresses. I find that the precision needed when sewing collars and sleeve plackets makes me slow down a bit and enjoy the sewing process. And I actually like sewing buttonholes (assuming that my machine is cooperating - which luckily for me, it usually is!) and buttons.

I'm pleased with the finish that I got on this dress - it feels neat. I'm particularly happy with the collar and the sleeve plackets. The pattern uses continuous lap/bound plackets instead of traditional shirt plackets, and I like that - I've sewn a couple of both types of placket now, and I think I've got better finishes with the continuous lap.

All in all, I'm pleased with how this dress turned out. While I said in my Make Nine post that my handmade wardrobe is fairly well stocked, if there's one area that's not quite as replete as others then it's wintery dresses so this is a welcome addition to my collection. And it's great to tick a project off the Make Nine list already!