Shirt Dress For A Bump

Here are a few more things I made for the growing belly this summer.  All of these were for back to work.  I've worn the shirt dresses a bunch of times already, but haven't worn the separate pieces at all.  The best part about all of these pieces is that they don't look like maternity clothes (I think?) and I definitely plan to wear them after baby is here.  The shirt dresses in particular will come in handy when I have to go back to work after giving birth.  Don't ask me why I seem so prepared for all of this baby business!  I'm really not.  At least I'm not prepared in any other aspect of life. But I guess my wardrobe is prepared.  Ha! I did get all summer to think about what to sew and then had the time to do it, so that helped.

Pattern Description: The pattern is one I've made before, McCalls 7314.  In fact, when I blogged about this particular dress before, I actually noted that it would be a great maternity pattern.  And it is!  It's a typical shirtwaist dress but with a raised, curved waist seam.  It's perfect for a growing bump. And I will absolutely be wearing my very first version when the weather gets a little cooler (it's below).  I left the elastic out of the back waist in that version but I like how it looks with tights and boots. The sleeves are from a different pattern.

Pattern Sizing: 6-22.  I made a 14.  

Fabric Used: I made the navy, shibori print dress first.  It's a rayon poplin that I bought from fabric.com a while back.  I've seen many other folks with the same fabric and for good reason.  It's really nice stuff.  I think rayon poplin might be my favorite dress fabric.  It's got great drape but is way sturdier than rayon challis and totally opaque.  I made the black and white gingham version next.  It is a rayon challis I've had for a while, too.  The top version is a plain white rayon challis that I bought yards of when Hancock closed down.  And the pants are made from the leftover rayon poplin from my very first version of the dress above.  I'm trying to sew through some of my stash as my fabric closet is going to be new baby's closet.  I've got to downsize!  I'll make some quick notes about the pants at the bottom of this post. 

Alterations/ Deviations: The navy shibori print dress has almost no alterations except my standard square shoulder adjustment. I played around with the shoulder fit more on the gingham version (and the armscye), but honestly, I think the shoulders look better on the navy version.  I also played around with button placement on the gingham version but I like it better per the pattern.  The gingham dress is longer, too.  About three inches, I think.  I spent forever matching up the checks on the gingham when I cut out pattern pieces.  The bodice looks decent but there is a little slant to the skirt. Oh well.  It was not fun to cut out.  I made the blouse last.  It's okay.   I put the elastic in the back waist of both dresses but did not like it in the top version.  So I left it loose and billowy.  The top version seems to fit so much larger for some reason.   Maybe fabric choice- cheap fabric, looser weave.

Likes/ Dislikes:  I love both dress versions. The curved waist seam is just perfect for a belly.  I plan to wear both dresses after baby, too.  I'm hoping the buttons will make it nursing friendly.  Like I said before, the blouse and pants haven't been worn at all.  I think I like both pieces separately, but not together.  It's too much fabric to wear at once.  I'll wear the blouse with a skinnier bottom but I'll probably just save the pants for later.  You can't tell in these photos, but the blouse has fun buttons.  They are clear with glitter.

And just some quick notes about the pants:  They are Butterick 5893.  I made view A, the straight leg version with side seam pockets.  I cropped mine.  I also shortened the rise a little bit.  They have an elastic waist.  They feel nice to wear in rayon poplin again, but I'm not sure what sort of top to wear them with.  I'll have to figure it out.

Conclusion:  Great shirt waist dress pattern. Perfect for summer and also happens to be perfect for early maternity wear!   I took these photos the same time I took the photos for my last post.  So this is just a 15 week little baby bump.  It's getting bigger now.  I think it's time to look at actual maternity patterns and for colder weather, too.

Two Shirt Dresses

Both of these shirt dresses were made a long time ago. Approximately six months or so ago in the summer.  These were the last two big projects I was working on before I got really sick with all my gall bladder nonsense in August.  I finished the multi-colored one back in July and hung it up in the closet.  It's never been worn.  The black and white shirt dress was finally finished a couple of weeks ago after sewing on and ripping off three different sets of sleeves/sleeve bindings.  I would have given up on it except I really loved the fabric.  And I did a pretty darn good job on that collar, if I do say so myself ;)  I also had already sewn a really nice, deep 3 inch hem.

The black and white shirt dress is McCalls 7314.  It is a pretty standard shirtwaist dress except it has a curved, raised waist seam.  The pattern calls for elastic in the back of the waist seam.  I did initially add the elastic but it made the dress look extremely maternity like.  In fact, this dress would be a really awesome maternity dress pattern.  I tried adding the elastic around the whole waist seam as well, but didn't like that either.  So I left the elastic off and was kind of digging the loose, Japanese sort of vibe I was getting.

I originally made this dress sleeveless.  But after finishing it, I couldn't get the idea of a long sleeved shirt dress to wear with tights and boots out of my head.  So I ripped out the sleeve bindings and added the long sleeves from the pattern.  I did not like them.  If I remember correctly, I then shortened the sleeves to be 3/4 length but didn't widen the cuff.  So I ended up with a really tight and uncomfortable shorter sleeve.  Then it sat on my dress form for a few months.  A few weeks ago, I ripped out the second set of sleeves and added the big, blouse-y sleeves from McCalls 7242. I had just worn my maxi shirt dress (which I am loving now, by the way) and thought the sleeves would be perfect.  I didn't do any measuring or anything to make sure it would work.  It was just a last ditch effort to try and save the dress.  So the armscye fit on this dress is pretty crappy.  Not only is the armscye all stretched out from ripping things out, but that sleeve head was not made to fit in to that armscye.  I made it work (hopefully?), but just barely.  Luckily the dress has so much ease that I didn't need a close fitting armscye anyway.  I also have lost a little under twenty pounds from when I originally made this dress.  It was already loose to begin with but is maybe even a little more so now. 

I don't love the end result, but I do like it.  I feel like it's a good teacher dress.  The fabric is fantastic.  It's a rayon poplin I bought from fabric.com.  It has the drape of rayon challis but has a tighter weave, so it seems more durable and is less see-through.  The crazy multi-colored fabric in my second shirt dress is also rayon poplin.  I bought several yards of some different prints at the same time.

The second shirt dress I made back in July is McCalls 7387.  I really liked this dress when I first made it but after putting it on for pictures now, I'm not so sure.  It's a funky pattern, which I like.  It is a very boxy shirt dress with a big pleat in the back and no waist shaping at all.  It has a covered button placket as well.  I spent an extremely long time cutting this out to match up stripes.  I also print mixed with some of the black and white spots from the other shirt dress on the placket and sleeve cuffs.  I'm pretty chuffed with my pattern placement.  The fit is off, though.

I did square the shoulder ahead of time.  And I'm not quite sure I did it right on a shoulder/sleeve like this.  I need to read up on it, I guess.  I still have some pulling from shoulder to the first button, which is what I'm trying to show in this awkward photo below.  Also, the covered button placket-- ugh.  I'm glad I did it because it was a good learning experience.  But it was a pain.  I've never done one before.  Not only that, but I couldn't make a button hole high enough on the placket because of where the covered part of the placket begins.  I had to scoot the first button hole down and it's too low.  I actually have it safety pinned in these photos and I'm planning to add a snap there.  I wouldn't do the covered button placket again.  I don't care enough about the look of it and my skills are lacking.

I like the overall shape of the dress and I love the unusual back pleat.  But, the back pleat is heavy and pulls on the back of the yoke.  The hem line is also dipped lower in the back, I'm guessing because of the pleat.  I don't mind it, but it's probably not how it's supposed to look.  I'm seriously thinking about chopping off four or five inches from the hem and turning this in to tunic to wear over leggings or skinny jeans.  I think it has too many fit issues for me to ever wear it comfortably as a dress. We'll see, though.  Maybe I'll let it sit in the magic closet for a little while.

Phew! Glad I blogged these two dresses.  Now onwards and upwards...

Finally Finished Object

Well, here it is.  Not my longest running ufo (that would be my partial Nicola dress that still hangs in my sewing room) but close.  I started this dress at the end of November last year and just finally called it finished this past weekend.  I'm still not sold on the maxi length but I'm leaving it for now.  I figure I'll put this dress away now that summer is almost here and then see what I think about it when it cools down again.  It's already too hot for long sleeves anyway.

Pattern Description:  McCalls 7242.  Misses button down shirt dress with elastic waist and a mandarin collar.  There are length and sleeve variations.  I was drawn to the 70's vibe of the maxi with the long blouse-y sleeves.

Pattern Sizing: 6-22.  I cut a straight size 14 out of laziness.  Actually, I did a lot of things out of laziness on this dress and I can tell.  I think I definitely needed a 16 in the waist and hip.  And maybe even the shoulder.  But the fit is decent.  This is not a pattern with an obscene amount of ease like you find sometimes in Big 4 patterns.  The skirt is pretty slim, which is nice.

Fabric Used:  I used a fabulous Cotton and Steel rayon poplin.  It is seriously nice stuff.  But it is on the more expensive side of the fabric I buy.  I had to buy five(!) yards of it to make this dress.   I really did need all that yardage, too.  So this actually ended up being kind of a pricey dress.  I think that's why I'm a little bummed that it didn't turn out as fantastic as I was hoping it would be.  The rayon poplin doesn't have the same soft drape that rayon challis has.   It's drape-y but it's also crisp, if that makes sense.   I think rayon challis might have been a better choice.

I bought the pattern when it first came out but didn't make it right away because of the yardage required.  Then I saw this version by Lisa g. and this one by Sew Busy Lizzy.  I was sold.  I browsed around online and bought the Cotton and Steel rayon because I was making this for a special event- my school wide art show at the beginning of December.  When the fabric arrived, I had exactly one week to sew up my dress.  I finished everything but the collar and the finishing and lost all steam.  Sewing under a deadline is never a good idea for me.  I didn't finish it in time for my art show and so it sat on my dress form for several months.  I'm not sure why I didn't pick it right back up after the show.  Anyway, months later I forced myself to finish it.  I sewed that damn collar five times (re-cutting it one time) before I got those curved front edges to match.  Then I screwed up the button holes and had to fix a few by hand (they don't look good up close).  And I also couldn't decide on a hem length.  I almost chopped it to knee length but I decided to leave it as a maxi for now.  It seems like a lot of fabric with the length and the long sleeves but I'll see how I feel later.

Alterations/Deviations:   After reading Lisa's post, I narrowed the front facing and top stitched it down.  I also shortened the sleeves two inches at the shorten/lengthen line.  I liked the big blouse-y sleeves but I wanted to be able to wear this to work and not dip my sleeves in paint.  I think shortening them was a smart idea.  They are still pretty big but don't billow over my hands or anything.  Other than that, no other changes.  The length of the maxi is per the pattern.  I could use another inch or two. I can only wear this with the flattest of shoes.  Nothing with a heel or it looks too short.  If you are on the taller side, you may want to add some length.

Likes/Dislikes:  I have some fit issues but I do like the way the collar sits.  However, if there is a photo that illustrates my need for a square shoulder adjustment, it's this one below. That diagonal pulling goes all the way to my shoulders.  I can feel it.  I think a square shoulder adjustment (adding to the shoulder seam) would solve that.  And a size up would probably help, too.  I like the way the elastic waist casing is sewn as well.  It's done with a larger seam allowance.  You have to read the instructions carefully.

Conclusion:  I'd love to try this again, sleeveless for summer.  In fact, I may just do that.  I have a soft rayon challis in stash that would be perfect.  If I make this again, I will definitely do a square shoulder and raise the armscye to match.  I would also go up a size in the waist and hip and add length.  I think despite my needing a few changes that this is a pretty good pattern.  I'm glad I finally finished it!

A Dress!

 Yes, a dress!  A completed project that I am actually pretty happy with.  I think this is a good way to start the new year.  And yes, I know it's technically cheating since I started this dress back in.... October.  But I am adding it to the Jungle January pool since that is the reason I finally finished it.  It had been sitting on my dress form for over a month now waiting on buttonholes and a hem.  But Jungle January peer pressured me in to finishing it :)

Like I said before, I started this project months ago.  And it started out differently in my head.  I planned on making a maxi shirt dress for a November wedding I attended.  I envisioned a floor length shirt dress made out of a slippery, flowy fabric.  So I browsed around online and ended up purchasing this army green leopard print rayon challis.  When it came, I was underwhelmed.  It kind of reminded me of camouflage.  I forged ahead with my plans anyway, cutting out the top half of a Lisette shirt dress pattern, Simplicity 2246, that I've made before (view C but with the long sleeves).   I planned on using my half circle skirt pattern for the bottom half of the dress, which I luckily did not cut out right away.  The Lisette pattern is an easy beginners version of a shirt dress.  The collar is one piece, which I think is a little strange, and there are no cuffs or sleeve plackets.  I knew I liked the fit, though, because I made a version last year.  That dress has been on constant rotation this fall.  It's not a super close fitting shirt dress.  I left a little bit ease in the waist and bust on purpose.  I made the original while I was still nursing baby Jane and I needed the ease then.  I've found after wearing that dress a lot this fall that I really like the extra ease.  It's an easy dress to wear all day.  I wear that one to work a lot.

I did the same shoulder adjustment where I took out all the excess ease.  Only I think I went to far this time.  There is an issue with the fit in the shoulders which doesn't seem to be apparent while looking at the dress, but I can feel it.  There is a tugging feeling.  I think I would leave a little bit of ease in next time around.   Also, the shoulder seam pulls off the ends of my shoulders which doesn't happen on my first version.  I did a collar stand by tracing from the one piece collar.  I didn't realize there was actually a separate collar stand pattern piece (d'oh!) until later so I can't comment on that.   It ended up huge.  I can actually flip the collar stand down and it looks almost like a full size collar.  As a side note, I've yet to sew a shirt collar that I haven't found too big.  Why do collars on sewing patterns always seem so large compared to rtw?  Or maybe I just prefer a smaller collar.

Somewhere along the way I lost interest in the project and I didn't finish it in time for the November wedding.  I think the fact that I didn't really love the fabric contributed to my stalling.  But I revisited it later on and decided to go with the gathered skirt from the actual pattern instead of a maxi skirt.  I lined the whole dress by cutting out the same pattern pieces from a solid drab green rayon challis and basting each piece together before sewing.  It makes for a really nice finish.  See dress guts below.  The whole dress feels very substantial and nice on.  Rayon challis is definitely not a cold weather fabric but it works in a double layer like this.  It's actually decently warm.  The skirt lining was hemmed separately but incorporated in to the placket.  Speaking of which, that placket is all sorts of messed up.  It's wavy and ripply and all over the place.  And my button spacing is not even.   I cannot get my one step buttonhole function to work if it is anywhere near another seam. Fortunately the print hides most of it.  I hope.

And now for the sleeves!  I am most pleased with the sleeves.  I was working on this dress when a post at Handmade by Carolyn describing a simple buttoned cuff came up in my reader.  It was the perfect solution.  The Lisette pattern doesn't include any sort of finish for the long sleeves.   Just a hem.  On the original dress I made, I did a sleeve facing which looks good rolled up.  On this dress, I did the simple buttoned cuff that Carolyn so kindly did a tutorial for and I love it.  So thank you, Carolyn!  I was lining the sleeves already so I didn't have to create a facing.  I just sewed the split and button hole and that was it.  I like how they look rolled up, too. 

All in all, I am pretty pleased with the finished product.  I know I'll get some everyday wear out of it at this length.  Although I still want to make a floor length shirt dress in a wispy fabric.  One day!

Alder Angst

So, this is where you tell me I should have made a muslin.  I know.  And to make matters worse, I have have seen so many awesome, awesome versions out there in the interwebs.

Argh.  Look at this beauty.  I used a beautiful warm grey linen from my stash that I have been hoarding for ages.  And neon green buttons.  I love them.  This dress has all the makings of being something really fabulous.  And yet, it's not.  I finished this the other week and put it on.  And even J, who compliments everything I make no matter what, wrinkled his nose.  I'm not willing to put it on for blog photos.  Sorry.

Most of the problem is that it's way too big.   I think this is a combination of making a size too big and also the linen I used.  I should know my measurements, I know.  But they have changed so much in the past couple of years.  I erred on the side of too big and I got it.  The linen I used is a heavier 100% linen.  It's one of those linens that kind of has a life of it's own.  I spent a lot of time trying to tame it and make it do what it was supposed to do.   It was difficult to work with.  It's the kind of linen that will age nicely but is stiff and unforgiving at first.  And forget about gathering (don't look too close).  I had to zig zag over heavy thread and I still snapped the thread twice.  It took me several attempts to gather the skirt.  The armholes ended up too low, which only reinforces the fact that I need to size down.  I didn't make any other changes except for lengthening it two inches.  It could also be because I'm just not supposed to wear dresses without waist seams.  Didn't I learn my lesson last time?

However, for posterity, I did want to post about the experience.  Also because I refer to my own blog for info, too.  I'm not finished with the pattern yet.  I'd like to make it again and I will definitely size down.  I am proud of those pockets.  I used the side with the facing for a little more interest.  The instructions were great and everything fit together just as it should.  It was a fun sew, although more labor intensive than things I have been sewing lately.  I did have to brush up on some skills I haven't used for a while.  Precision sewing is not my strong suit.  That collar- I give myself a C-.  But I'll do better next time.  I am patiently waiting for Jen to talk about the v-neck shirt variation.  I can handle the no waist look in a tunic or shirt.  In the meantime, I've got to figure out if there is a way to save this one.  Do I want attempt to alter it?  I was thinking about taking out the armhole binding and then taking in the bodice above the gathered skirt.  That should give me a closer fit and make the armholes a little smaller.  I'll just put it in line behind my Nicola ;)

Do-si-do Dress

Look at my lovely autumn dress.  Made just in time for early spring!  I guess I could just call it a spring shirt dress.  I started this project at the beginning of October and I have been slooowly working on it in between other projects and all the distractions around the holidays.  When I started it I imagined I would finish it in time to take photos with all the changing fall leaves.  This fabric has some pretty fall colors in it.  But eh.  You know how it goes.

Actually, I'm really pleased with the finished dress even though it took forever to finish.  The fabric is one of those cherished stash fabrics that I have been saving for something special.  It's not a particularly nice fabric or anything, just a crisp cotton shirting.  But I absolutely love the colors in the print.  I love complementary colors together.  I used the Lisette traveler shirt dress pattern, Simplicity 2246.  I made view C with the gathered skirt but with the three-quarter length sleeve.  This pattern has been around for a while now and I've seen lots of great versions on the interwebs.  It's a great easy shirt dress or tunic pattern without some of the more difficult parts of a button up shirt.  Although I kind of wish there was an option for a sleeve cuff.  I struggled with how to finish my sleeve hems as I didn't like the pattern instructions to just turn up the hem and stitch.  I ended up adding a sleeve facing using a scrap of lightweight denim.  I rolled it about a half inch towards the outside so you can see a strip of it even when the sleeves aren't rolled up. You can see what the sleeves look like unrolled in the photo on the left below.  The photo on the right shows the facing from the inside.   I pretty much always keep my sleeves rolled up, though.   I added the facing before I sewed the sleeve seam and then ironed some fusible web around the top edge to keep it in place.

 

I've been struggling with fitting recently.  I'm pretty darn close to my pre-pregnancy weight but boy am I a different shape now.  Things are in different places than they used to be.  It's not necessarily a bad thing, just different.  I kind of feel like I'm starting all over when it comes to fitting sewing patterns.  I don't know what size to cut or what alterations to make anymore where I used to have some routine adjustments.  I ended up making a lot of alterations on the fly while sewing this up.  Some were on purpose, some were from my screw ups.

 

I did a broad back alteration before I cut my fabric.  I did the one where you cut a right angle and then pivot out.  I added about an inch.  I probably went a little overboard but I like to have free range arm movement if at all possible.   Luckily the busy fabric hides some of the wrinkling.  It also hides the fact that the bust darts are way too high.  Thanks, gravity.  If I make this again, I'll definitely lower those darts.  I also reduced the sleeve cap ease using Joy's explanation.  Worked like a charm.  I saw a lot of versions that had some puffiness at the shoulder, which is not a bad thing but just not what I wanted on this particular dress.  I added pockets.

 

You've probably noticed that I don't have a normal shirt collar on my dress.  Yeah.  That would be from all my screw ups.  I think this bow blouse collar was my fourth or fifth iteration.  It was a last shot before I threw in the towel.   I'll save you all the boring details, but I seemed to have lost my touch when it comes to precision sewing.   I'm a little out of practice.  I screwed up two or three collar attempts and distorted the neckline from all the unpicking.  I cut it down and tried binding it, which looked terribly homemade.  Then I had the bright idea to try a bow blouse collar as a last ditch effort to save the fabric.  And it worked.  At least I think it did.  I seem to be channeling Colonel Sanders more than a sexy secretary, though.   But it was a save no less.  I went with pearl snaps instead of buttons, hemmed it above the knee and put on my cowgirl boots.  That's why I'm calling it the do-si-do dress.  I feel like I should be at a square dance for some reason.  It's a little country.  Yee haw!

 

It's a great casual dress which will be worn often.  Perfect for work.  And I'm happy I used a fabric I loved so much.  I'm on a mission to sew some of the special fabrics I've been hanging on to these last few years.  I like the Lisette pattern I used and I'd like to attempt it again after making this dress.  Maybe the tunic version.  It was fun to sew a crisp woven, too, after all the knit sewing I've done lately.   Hooray for more sewing!