Earlier in the year, I tested out a sewing pattern that produced one of my favourite dresses which I’m embarrassed to say I wear almost weekly. The pattern in question is Simplicity X Lisette 1419 and it contains two dresses with different collar and sleeve options as well as a jacket; on my first attempt, I wanted to make dress A with the collar from dress B but I realised quickly that I actually didn’t want to make the little keyhole placed at the centre front along the neckline so I omitted it entirely. Since then, I always thought I’d come back to this pattern and make it as the pattern originally intended and I figured something cute and Halloween might just be a fun way to do it so here we are.

Much like my first attempt, I will be combining elements from both dress options to create a wonderfully seasonal sew. For this attempt, I will be sewing the keyhole neckline option with the collar and also adding sleeves. My skirt will be made out of rectangle gathered panels and if I remember, pockets. There’s not many changes I will be making to my original attempt as honestly, the dress fit like a dream and that just makes me keen to get started but first, let’s look at fabric.

Each year, I buy a few bits of Halloween fabric as some years produce better designs than others. I’m glad I bought heaps a few years back as this year I haven’t really had time to shop and by the time I tried to, a lot of good prints and designs had sold out. Whilst at my local Spotlight, my eye landed upon an orange, purple and black cross over pattern which looks a little like a woven yarn despite being 100% cotton. Officially titled ‘Halloween Check Printed 112 cm Cotton Fabric Multicoloured 112 cm’ you can find the link here. I got about 4 meters and some plain black cotton for the collar then headed home to begin my sewing adventure.

Sew, let’s get started. I began with my bodice which I added darts to. To create the keyhole, I created a loop and using a baste stitch, attached it along the collar. Once the collar and facing were attached, I was able to cut open the keyhole and just like that, the bodice had come together. This is a really easy pattern to follow and I’d recommend it for beginners ready for a little challenge. If you are comfortable with adding darts, facing and a collar, this dress let’s you see how all three can come together. I think the keyhole came out super cute and it’s something I’d love to make again because IT’S JUST SO CUTE!

Moving onto the sleeves, these came together quite simply. I cannot for the life of me figure out how people attach sleeves perfectly without the sleeve pieces being a little too large and having to gather or make a pleat at the top. For this one, I made an inverted pleat and they came out very sweet. If you have any sleeve sewing tips, please share them as it’s something I’d love to figure out.

The skirt was simple; cut out lengths of fabric, sew them together, gather the engtire length using dental floss then pin and attach to the bodice, sew everything together. For this skirt, I used about 3 panels of fabric 26 inches long. I normally cut my skirt 28 inches long (it ends up around 27 inches by the time it’s attached to the bodice ad hemmed) but somehow, I was running out of fabric and couldn’t stretch the length. I personally find for skirts such as this that dental floss is a great way to go but I’m saving up for a new sewing machine with hopefully a gathering attachment foot (oh what a dream).

To finish up the dress, it was finishing off seams using my overlocker, attaching the zip to the center back and them final hems. The last thing I needed to do with this dress was to sew on a button that the keyhole loop could go around. I did have some halloween buttons but they just didn’t work for me and made the dress start to creep into more of a costume than something a bit casual. I wanted a button with a loop on the bottom to make using the keyhole loop easier and I found one that came off an old shirt. It was black and satin; perfect. I guess the dress was done.

This dress came together in a day with me really taking my time sewing as I go. I have found I really enjoy listening to audiobooks as I sew and when I look back at what I’ve made, I also get reminders of the adventures I listened to whilst sewing. This dress is fabulous and I love it. This pattern really works for me and I love the fit, the style and all the options I can add or take away as I sew. This dress gives Halloween vibes without being a costume and I can’t wait to pair it with cardigans and fun brooches. The colours of the dress allow me to really play with accessories and the option of collar clips when styling is very exciting.

If I could change one thing on this dress is that I would have remembered to pattern match the back panels. I completely forgot that pattern matching was a thing when I was sewing and it wasn’t until I was uploading the photos to this blog that I realised that the back panels were not aligned. It’s not a major issue but it would have helped the garment look a little bit more professional.

This pattern is great for beginners looking to learn a new skill. The instructions of the pattern are clear and even when combining elements from different dress styles, it’s easy to figure out when things should be added just by reading the instructions from both styles and combining them. This pattern has so much potential and can be made for all seasons and holidays. This dress pattern can be easily adjusted to take into consideration variations in colour patterns, different fabrics such as a lace collar or even being made out of velvet (this would be great for Wednesday Addams!).

As I mention in my last write up for this pattern, Simplicity X Lisette 1419 can be a little tricky to find a copy of but keep an eye out for Amazon and Etsy as the odd copy does pop up there every now and again. I’ve now sewn this pattern twice so I suppose I should ask myself if I would sew this pattern again. Absolutely I will. I have found this pattern to be one of the best discoveries of this years sewing adventure. It’s a pattern that I already have many plans for and even whilst sewing, I am already wondering what cute styles I can do in future sews. I love matching colours between the dresses main pattern and the contrasting collars; the ideas and possibilities are endless.

Each time I’ve sewn this dress I’ve added the collar; I’d love to try this pattern with no collar and perhaps no sleeves as well. I’m tempting to use this pattern for a very special project which I have been planning for over 5 years. How would we feel about this pattern, with peephole, no collar or sleeves, but with a large bow on the front? I’m quite inspired by the front bodice bows from the old Sailor Moon cartoon. This will be a project I plan to do early next year so keep an eye out for that!

Notes: The brooch in my images is designed by Johanna Parks and is available from Lipstick and Chrome.

Note: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions and thoughts expressed are solely my own and not influenced in any way. There are no affiliate links and I do not benefit from any link clicks or purchases made.