Butterick describes this pattern as a misses’ dress that is semi-fitted, straight, above mid-knee dress with front darts, back pleats, self-faced yoke front and neckbands, side seam pockets, outside casing with elastic, self ties and a stitched hem. I made the basic dress, modifying the sleeve to use the fabric I had available.
My favorite element: The side seam pockets! I love pockets!
My least favorite element: The outside casing with elastic. I love the look it gives the dress, but it made mine too bulky around the middle.
Biggest change: I knew I would wear a belt with this dress and the self ties would have to go. I created the casing and ran the elastic from front facing, around the back to the other front facing, stitching the ends in place, eliminating the need for self ties.
Fabric: This is a 100% cotton that I grabbed off the sale rack at Hancocks. It feels like a lawn, but is just a little bit heavier.
Pattern: I basically followed the written instructions and found no problems with them. The pattern pieces were also easy to use/understand. The dress took my about 4 months to complete: 1 hour to cut, 4 months to sit unfinished, and about 1 1/2 hours to actually stitch up.
I won’t be making this dress again, because I have another dress pattern I like that is very similar. If you don’t have a straight shirt dress pattern that you’d love, this would be a great one to try. Grab it at a 99cent sale and give it a go, particularly if you are rectangle like me!