I had this lovely floral linen fabric sitting in my stash for some time now; maybe two years or so, and decided to make a sleeveless summer dress in anticipation of some nice weather. I chose a Simplicity pattern #4552, View A, that I also had bought some time ago but have never used.
Cutting the proper size is always a mystery with patterns. In Ready To Wear, I wear a size 10 or 12, but in the pattern world, I can make anywhere from a size 12 to a size 16. So my measurements would correlate with a size 16 on the pattern envelope but when I looked at the ease measurements, I realized that a 16 would be huge on me. I settled on cutting a size 12 for the neck and armholes and a size 14 on the side seams. This pattern is really easy to sew and is a snap once you decide on your cutting lines. My fabric had a border so I tried to line it up with my hem. Unfortunately I still needed to cut off another 2 inches to make it mid knee. I had originally cut off 2 inches from the pattern hem initially since I am only 5'2". The neckline and armhole edges are made with a fabric strip that you cut on the bias. I chose to use my coverstitch on these edges once I turned the strip in. This makes a really nice finished edge.
