Simplicity 8888 // The Eve Appeal Hack-Along

It’s my turn on the Simplicity X The Eve Appeal blog tour!

This annual challenge has had another makeover this year and it’s all about pattern hacking! The Hack-Along involves taking one of nine Simplicity patterns and doing your thing with it! There are three categories for your finished garment – Day, Party and Unique Vintage.

This worldwide challenge is raising money for The Eve Appeal – a UK national charity funding research and raising awareness into the five gynaecological cancers. A very worthy cause in my eyes!

I chose Simplicity 8888 as the base for my hack.

This dress pattern is designed with a central full length front and back panel, inserted gathers at the waist on each side and pockets. It comes with several options to hack it already – a plain crew or keyhole neck, knee or full length skirt and three sleeve options.

Of course I decided to go off plan though!

I kept my design simple enough – I used the round neckline and kept the dress itself essentially the same, though I chopped it off at a mid calf length. I then used the By Hand London Hannah dress sleeve pattern as a guide to draft big bishop sleeves ending with a tight buttoned cuff at the wrist! (I’d also done a similar hack here with the Deer and Doe Magnolia dress in velvet.)

I made an M and shortened it just above the waist by 2cm.

I also added long waist ties in the back of the dress between the centre and side back panels. My original idea was to just have them tie at the back but I preferred the cinching effect it had by wrapping it all the way around!

Because of the sheer volume of the sleeve, it fell a little oddly over the cuffs and my hands. To tackle that, I made a little tuck on each sleeve around the mid forearm and at the elbow which I hand tacked in place. It gave it a cascading effect which worked perfectly in this drapey viscose fabric!