This review was originally featured in Threads #178 (April/May 2015). If this pattern is no longer readily available via the pattern company, try searching online for the pattern name and number, or try Etsy.com or eBay.com.

Simplicity Threads 1168

This dress and coat ensemble pattern is ideal for a spring or fall outfit. The dress has bust darts, an exposed zipper, and comes in two lengths. One version ends above the knee while the other is knee-length. The dress can be made sleeveless or with sleeves that end slightly above the elbow. The coat has front and back vertical seams, welt patch pockets, and two-piece sleeves with optional cuffs.

One coat ends mid-thigh while the other falls to the knee. There is an optional hook-and-eye closure at the center front. Our tester found the garments easy to sew overall, with more time required for the welt pocket. Make this dress and coat in any woven in your favorite fabric type, from cotton to wool. Look in the home décor section, too, for coat textiles.

Get more web extras from Threads #178:

• Video: How to Sew a Welt Patch Pocket
• Video: How to Sew and Install a Sleeve Head
• Threads 360°: Simplicity Threads 1168 Pattern

(Sized Misses’ 6-24 for busts 30.5-46 in. and hips 32.5-48 in.)

Sewing Tip: With heavier-weight fabrics, face the sleeveless view dress armscyes instead of using the pattern’s strip.

-Tested by Norma Bucko, Danbury, Connecticut

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