Pattern Name: Simplicity Misses Dress and Cropped Jacket
Simplicity 8187 – Envelope art
Simplicity 8187 – line drawing
Size Range: Simplicity (Big 4) sizes 6-22.
What size did you make? I sized up to a 28.
What are your…..
Measurements: 50-47-50
Body Shape: hourglass with a thick middle
Height: 5’6”
Bra size: 42DDD
What adjustments did you make and how long did they take?
I replaced the bodice and graded up the skirt. I ended up not using this pattern for the jacket at all. This took about 10 hours of trial and error but only about 2 hours of actual sewing.
What was the construction process like? Did the instructions make sense to you?
I’m going to cut to the chase: this pattern is not for a curvy lady. In fact, I’d say anyone outside of the thin model-type body shown on the packaging for this pattern will struggle to make it fit. I can say without a doubt that this was the biggest struggle I’ve had with a pattern in ages.
To start: the bodice. The front bodice has neither darts nor princess seams, but instead two pleats at the bottom to gather it into the skirt. This is a frustrating situation for anyone with a bust. I tried many, many times to use the existing bodice and add the needed princess seams, but after 5 muslins I gave up. I’m sure it could be done, but I found it easier to go back to a bodice that I knew fit rather than struggle to adjust the existing bodice. I chose Cashmerette’s Upton dress bodice, which was almost exactly the same. For the sake of my costume (a dress based on Star Wars’ General Hux jacket) I turned the darts into princess seams using this tutorial.
Cashmerette Upton Dress – line drawing
I measured the gores of the skirt, added the extra 6 inches needed, and sewed it up. I added it onto the bodice and ended up with the below, with an extra 4 inches of skirt in the back:
Simplicity 8187 – Front and Back
Not my best work, but that’s what happens when you change the bodice. I tried pleating in the center of the skirt to make it fit but that ruined the line. Additionally, I have a bit of a belly, and this skirt wasn’t having it. Eventually, I moved the gores towards the back to make the line straighter, took out the pleats, and removed a dart on either side of the front side gores. This gave me a bit more room for my belly. The skirt is pretty simple, minus the multiple gores, so others may have less difficulty with this section. Here’s the pinned but final version:
Simplicity 8187 – final version
No, I cannot explain to you why the skirt is so long. It’s meant to hit on the upper calves but is floor length on me. I did not lengthen the skirt or bodice from the original pattern. Maybe it’s a bit longer for a petticoat underneath? It’s still awfully long.
Finally, having thrown out the bodice all together and adjused the skirt quite a bit, I arrived at the jacket. To my despair, the jacket is all one piece, sleeves and bodice together. Unless you are a rectangular shaped person, I think you’ll have difficulty with this! Here’s what mine looked like:
Simplicity 8187 – Jacket
I decided to use another pattern altogether (vogue 1266) for the jacket. Wish me luck!
Will you make this pattern again? If so, what fit or design changes will you make?
No way! I basically ended up with just the skirt, altered. If you’re a curvy lady and want a look like the Simplicity 8187, Cashmerette’s Upton is very close and could be adjusted to have more gores in the skirt/lose the waistband. I wish I had started with that instead of Simplicty’s. However, the pattern also comes with instructions on how to create the Doctor Who Dalek or TARDIS look featured on the packaging, which would be the only reason to buy this pattern, in my opinion.
I’d also add that the instructions itself are more difficult than needed– the bodice instructions asks you to add the zipper and then finish the facing of the dress, which seems like a poor choice.
Pattern Rating (1-5):
- Size range: 4
- Instructions: 1
- Construction process: 2
- Final fit: 1
- Overall rating: 1
Sorry Simplicity, but this pattern’s not for the curvy set!
Thanks so much for doing a costume review. Some patterns can easily be graded up for good results, others not so much. I fit close to the 22, so even though according to the pattern measurements, these should fit with little tweaking, in practical experience they don’t. Your results fit with my experience in trying to get many of these costumes to fit on the upper end of the size range. Altering for height, shoulder width, bicep width, curved back, in general before we even get started. My costume right now uses the least amount of altering I’ve ever had to do. It’s a McCall’s 6819 view a.
Hi Kathleen,
I want to thank you for your review. I think your quite brave to share what must have been a real pull your hair right out experience. You are also very creative. I love that you tried so many different paths to complete your vision.
It’s obvious that a few commenters have forgotten what it’s like to try and problem solve your way through a pattern. Kudos to you for being a sewing diehard! Yeah we learn alot when one of these situations occur, but many times it’s what makes someone quit sewing. I have learned alot from your very honest review. I also picked a few points from commenters.
Having said that, I will say I am saddened by the tone of many posts. This is a SUPPORTIVE community folks! She took the time to share what this project was like for her. She offered her opinion on that experience. We call it a review.
Thanks Kathleen, awesome determination. I probably would have bon fired the whole thing. 🙂
Yours, Merry
Sorry to hear you had trouble with the pattern 🙁
A couple of things jumped out at me while I read your review, that might help explain some of your issues…
Firstly, the pattern bodice has a high waist – if you didn’t shorten the Upton bodice to match, this would account for the big difference in width where the skirt met the bodice. Likewise it will account for the longer length of the skirt, as the actual waist will have been a few inches lower that in the original design.
For bodices like these, you can do a FBA by adding additional volume to the under bust gathers, or by doing a combination of that and adding side seam bust darts. Because the style is an empire waist, the pleats/gathers going into the skirt are designed to sit under the bust to provide shaping, rather than going directly to the natural waist.
Also, if you insert the zip, then finish stitching the facing down over top of the zipper tape, it gives a lovely neat finish on the inside without having to handsew the facing down 🙂
Happy sewing! 🙂
Not every pattern is, or can possibly be, suitable for every person of every level of ability to grade, fit and alter to their own unique shape and size in a satisfactory manner.. This is not necessarily any inherent ‘fault’ of the pattern, and certainly not of the person; it is mere plain fact.
Some designs, drafts and styles are fairly easy to alter, often drastically, whether for size, height, proportion, asymmetry or anything else. Others are very difficult indeed, even for a skilled, professional.
The best way to avoid issues like these is to learn to recognise limitations, both in a pattern’s design and drafting, and in your own abilities, needs and preferences.
Sad to here this pattern didn’t work for you.
Butterick 6018 worked for me https://butterick.mccall.com/b6018. An FBA is easy on the darted bodice. The line drawings are incorrect on B6018. There is a center front and center back seam that give the same effect as this pattern. The skirt is a little fuller, but you could take some of that out by angling the skirt seams in more from the waist. I ended up raising and rounding out the sweetheart neckline from View B to create a very rounded V shape with the built up back neckline. View A would be easier to use to create a high round neckline like this pattern since it doesn’t have the built up back neckline.
Also I have had great success with the bolero from Vogue 8812. It wouldn’t be hard to shorten it a little, draft a simple collar and trim the edges to create that inverted V look. I actually used it to draft a reversible shawl collar bolero that I love!
No, it’s not for the curvy set. That’s why it only goes up to size 22.
Size 22 could easily be a curvy person. If it were only up to size 14 you might have an argument, but even then without an ability to do an FBA it would still be very hard to fit this dress.
I think I missed something. Why do you th8no an FBA can’t be done on this bodice?
Oops should be “think”
That’s anathema to the mission of the CSC, where a woman of every shape and size should be able to wear what she likes that makes her feel happy without shame or ridicule. This pattern didn’t work for this sewist, but that seems to be more about picking the wrong pattern. Why someone who prefers seams and darts picked a pattern that clearly lacked them is another issue from whether or not this pattern could work for someone else with a different shape, different goals, or using different techniques to grade the pattern up.
It was designed for up to size 22. I don’t think you can be all that surprised when it doesn’t work for size 28, that’s all.
And yes, she probably would have done better using a pattern which had the features she wanted as a starting point in the first place.
Favorite line, because it rang so true: “This is a frustrating situation for anyone with a bust.”
Thanks for an honest review!
Thanks for reviewing a cosplay pattern!! It’s difficult to find them for curvy gals- and this one is obviously no different. I appreciate your candid review as well. Sounds like the Upton is an all around favorite for many.
The Upton is probably my favorite dress pattern ever. It looks great and is easy to make!
Thank you so much Kathleen for your very honest review! It’s always good to know about negative experiences as well as the positive. I rather like the jacket though!
That photo on the dummy doesn’t quite show how odd the seam lines are. I like the jacket a lot on the models but it has extremely odd sleeves– it was hard to get them to hang correctly.
Thank you for sharing your process here! And being daring and honest in how difficult – in fact flat out impossible! – the undertaking was. I agree Cashmerette’s Upton would be a better option and could be adapted more easily to what you’re seeking even in “retro” 🙂