I like the Burda one the best - and it lacks princess seams - meaning that unless you want to have the seams it would be basically what you'd be drafting yourself - only the actual historical pattern is likely even simpler.

I think a historical dress like this is one of the easiest patterns you can make and would recommend it to anyone as a 'first pattern drafting' project if they wanted to try. They'll never get that 'years of experience' if they never start - and pattern drafting doesn't have to be difficult or complicated. If you're able to get Pippin's jacket drafted I think this is actually an easier project so you should be able to handle it Rhapsody, I know where you're coming from, but at the same time people have to start somewhere. But I just don't know where to even begin for this. Should I snag the McCall pattern at JoAnn's for future use? Or would making my own pattern/using a different sort of dress pattern be the way to go? I'm obsessed with accuracy, so if making a dress with a historical pattern gives me a look that is more true to Merida- that is what I would do. It appears that Simplicity's pattern only comes in child sizes. I know that Simplicity and McCall's have sewing patterns available for that specific dress.

I'm just researching at this point, but this is the dress I would plan to cosplay with- it seems to be the most 'iconic' dress that she wears - or at least the most recognizable.

So, on my cosplay list is Merida from the Pixar film Brave.

Merida brave dress pattern