Completed: Simplicity 5511 from 1973

Simplicity 5511 circa 1973

I am on a roll. Below is a picture of my completed dress made from the Simplicity 5511 circa 1973 pattern. This dress has a bodice, straps and a gathered skirt. This dress gave me a bit of trouble in terms of fit. My original finished version was huge despite me cutting and sewing exactly as instructed. The pattern was for a size 38 and for some reason I had at least 3.5 inches of ease on the bodice and skirt panel was huge. Since this was a wearable muslin I decided to just take the dress in an inch on the sides. The fit was a little bit better although I think I will take in the skirt portion a little bit more than an inch.


Please excuse the bad IPhone photos. Better pictures will come later.




Again this is made from blue broadcloth that I have been using to make my wearable muslins. Although I am getting sick of seeing this fabric.



Lastly is the picture of the back and my first invisible zipper insert.

Pattern Review (The Pros): Again I chose this pattern because it looked easy to put together. The pattern was another learn to sew type of pattern and was very easy to follow. The pattern was made up of five pieces not including the optional pocket.

The Cons: I had a lot issues with the fit. I finished making a size 38 in another dress (see Simplicity 5424) and I had about 2.5 inches of ease. This dress ended up with 3.5 inches of ease on the bodice and gathered skirt panel was huge. And this was from following the sewing the instructions for a size 38. I guess sizing does vary from dress to dress.

Did it come out like the pattern picture? Yes, although it was a much bigger version. I kinda thought it was more rectangle shaped than A-line.

Do you need to make adjustments? Hell yes. I am planning on taking the bodice by an inch and sewing with a 5/8 in seam. This would alter the bodice by about three inches. I think. I would also take in the skirt panel by two inches with a 5/8 in seam. Hopefully everything works out with the new measurements.

Pattern Level: Experienced Novice. You'll be sewing darts and inserting a zipper. Instead of a regular zipper I inserted an invisible zipper (my first).

What could I have done better? Chosen a better draping material and maybe premeasured the pattern pieces first to get an idea of the overall fit.

Would you sew this pattern again? Of course. Already in the process of redrafting the pattern.

Pattern: Vintage Simplicity 5511 from 1973 bought on Etsy.
Fabric: Blue Broadcloth from Fabric Mart.com.
Techniques: Zipper insertion, darts, facings, underlining and hand sewing.