Miss Celie

Simplicity 3882, Not once. But, twice.

This is just the kind of dress I said I wasn’t going to sew this year! It’s a throw away dress needed in a pinch. It’s knit when I’ve been trying to sew more wovens. It’s casual and I’ve wanted to be more chic. It’s a bright and bold pritn and I’ve been trying to incorporate more solids. It’s a dress and I need more separates. I told myself I was going to sew more complicated garments instead of just trying to stock my closet. This dress took me less than two hours to sew and I have got to say, “I am so glad I can sew!!”

You see my friends, I have no “hang out clothes”. I solely focus on work garments.  Now, I have clothes I can meet you after work in. I can meet you for cocktails or dinner even. I can meet your parents. I can go to the museum or theater with you. I can go to church and attend a wedding. But, again, I have no ‘run around clothes’. I don’t have a thing that  can be worn to a football game at your house.

Yes, yes. There are jeans. But, I have some thick thighs and look 10 pounds heavier in jeans and try not to wear them all that often. Last month I had this dilema. I needed a “Farmer’s Market on a Sunday” outfit. What did I do? I Dropped $32 at H&M for the tunic above to wear with jeggings. The second time I wore that tunic was two weeks later on a Saturday morning coffee date. The third time I wore that tunic was later that week to a Thursday night free outdoor concert. Do you sense a theme here? I have no casual clothes.

Friday night came around and I needed something to wear on a Saturday night to watch football. I decided to go back to Simplicity 3882 made in 2007.


(Simplicity 3882 in 2007. Clearly, me at my thinnest. Ever.)

I remade the dress from the remnants of this Simplicity 3503 maxi dress. In this version, I cut the elastics all about 4 inches shorter than recommended and made a dartless 3/4 inch FBA.

So, I pulled it off! I had a new dress in short order and managed to eek the last of summer of out of my sewing.

42 comments

    • Nice job..

      I don’t have hang out clothes either. And I’m okay with that. Took me a minute to feel that way. Part of my “old person style.” I have no problem wearing a skirt to a football game or being the most over dressed person at any event. As long as I can run in the shoes I’m wearing, I’m good.

  2. It’s very cute. I love that print on you. It goes great with your coloring, and is similar in size and spirit to other prints I’ve seen you use.

    I, too, tend to look better in dresses than pants. Who cares if you can’t wear every shape if the shapes you wear flatter you and you feel good in them?

  3. I remember when I had my first child and stayed home for the first time that I had nothing to wear. All of my efforts always went towards office wear, but I no longer went to an office. I think that’s when I first started sewing knits. Anyway, the dress is darling on you! I don’t know why you promised yourself you wouldn’t make these sorts of dresses, they are a very flattering silhouette on you!

  4. Your dress looks really pretty on you, and perfect for hanging out – and just 2 hours is amazing! I reckon you should whip a few more of these up…

    The clothing area where I’m lacking is “smart casual”. I enjoy sewing smart clothes for work or a function or a party, and I can do (bought) jeans and t-shirts. Sewing casual basics doesn’t really inspire me though….

  6. I have this pattern…it languishes along with the others. I really like the one with the balloon hem. Yeah, maybe I could make it time to beat the last of our hot weather days (today’s supposed to hit 85). Not!

  7. Those dresses look terrific! That they took just a few hours to sew is perfect for hot weather.

  8. The dress is super! It looks really good on you! I am on the other end of the clothing. I have jeans which I wear a lot. A few tops that are nice but not dressy. I can handle a farmers market or coffee outing. Where I am lacking terribly is dressy clothing. I don’t own a dress. Really not even one. I don’t own a skirt. I don’t have anything that would be good for a dressy evening out. But I do have the DNKY 1250 pattern and material to make it! I am seriously lacking in time it seems! I have to get better organized with it so I can work in more sewing! I can’t believe you made that dress in a couple hours! That is amazing to me!

  10. I love the way that fabric looks on you, but I disagree that it’s a throw-away. It would be great through the fall with a little cardi & what about next spring & summer?

  12. But you look so pretty in that dress! It’s a great color for you. The other dress looks totally different in a stripe. Sometimes the easier things are just what you need. Why not alternate a more complicated piece with a couple of easy ones.

  14. It looks great. I think it is nice to have goals, but sewing is about doing something fun. So if it is fun for you to sew a quick knit printed casual dress you should do it.

  15. First can I tell you that you look so much stronger and healthier now…not fat..but muscley (if that’s a word!) than you did in the 2007 picture.

    Second, I love, love, love the dress!

    Third, me too…I have way more everything else than hang out clothes too. But I’m usually happy in some jeans – probably because I rarely wear them!

  18. Love those colors in the first dress on you, very flattering. I don’t have much “decent” hang out clothes either so you are not alone.

  19. Great dress! The color is really good, too. I spent years building up my professional work wardrobe and now have nothing but “Mom” outfits (t shirts and skorts) for hanging out.

  22. Well even though it doesn’t fit into your specified categories it’s clear you needed it, and probably a few other items that fit into this category as well. I’m can’t say anything though, I have made two knit tops in the last two days and it has doubled the number of knit tops I have made this year! I wear knit tops all the time and I’ve been reduced to wearing…boxy tee shirts. Oh the horror…

  25. So cute! What is it about dressing for football that is so difficult? I think your solution is much cuter than the workout clothes I end up wearing at home more often than I’d like to admit.

    It’s a great print on you.

  26. I hoipe you’re not too upset with yourself for sewing the knit dress, because it’s a fantastic dreass and you look gorgeous! What a cute pattern!

  28. I love both versions. Didn’t know this pattern, it pre-dates The Great Sewing Madness of 2007. Love the print on 2.0, looks great on you.

  30. You have an above average eye for design and fabric choice. You really choose well and look great in the projects you show us. This dress is just great. I enjoyed your design changes. You really updated the look.

  31. I know what you mean. I have the black Macy’s clothes and jeans. Not much in between, so I’ve been sewing frantically to have something because in-betweens will fit well in my new job as church secretary.

  34. Both your dresses look really cute. That is the perfect thing to just throw on.

    I have the same dilemma with casual clothes. I think for me it’s because my work environment is so casual that I can get away with casual/business and so I just end up dressing that way all the time.

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