![Simplicity 8380 in Floral scuba knit](https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/f78cf60b-f379-47d5-a6dc-b23e1576f7c7/E08E89D3-1D1E-4123-9191-0493D6040702.jpeg/:/cr=t:22.61%25,l:15.27%25,w:64.94%25,h:64.94%25/rs=w:400,cg:true,m)
Pattern
Inspiration
Date night is one of my favorite nights of the week. Time for a little quality time. A nice meal, a little dancing, a glass of wine, it’s all part of the experience. Sometimes, I will sew a dress on Friday night for date night on Saturday night.
The other cool inspiration for this make was the summertime floral colors.
The Date Night Dress
The beauty of getting older is the lack of desire to please everyone. I started off making a little black dress (LBD) like the one pictured on the pattern envelope, then I thought to myself, I don’t need or want another black dress. What I want is something that reminds me of summertime. Summer, with its bright floral expressions, always brings a smile to my face. I mean, what would summer be without fresh cut grass, kids with their shirts off running through the sprinkler and the infamous slip-n-slide (plus Dawn soap).
My favorite patterns are those that are inherently versatile. For some reason, people always think that black is versatile. I believe that all depends on the person and their style. How a garment makes you feel is just as important as what it looks like.
The Fabric
Medium weight scuba knit from Gail K Fabrics in Atlanta, Georgia. This place is an absolute gold mine for knits. The pricing isn’t always great so chose wisely.
Sizing
I had to make some fit adjustments to the waist and also to the shoulder seam which was too big for me. T his unfortunately is a standard alteration for me. I made the size 10 with the hips graded to a size 14.
Overall Review
Overall, this sewing pattern is solid and a definite winner in the pattern collection. It is simple enough for a beginning sewist and doesn’t have any complicated notions or closures. It’s just a few pieces and easy to make fit adjustments.
I plan on sewing it again in Ponte de Roma in navy and possibly white with sequin embellishment on the shoulder. You are not limited in what you can do style-wise. For a dresser look, I may eliminate the pockets.