Corduroy Rosa Dress

My recent sewing has largely consisted of quick, easy projects (namely New Look 6217) due to a lack of sewing time and brain power. I did however find time to make a shirt for the Ginghamalong a few weeks ago, and apart from one moronic mishap (sewing the collar on upside down) it all went to plan. This definitely whetted my appetite for shirt making, so when Tilly kindly gifted me a copy of the Rosa shirt pattern, I decided to dive in. 

Hmmm may have to re-position that third button...

I went down the shirt dress route - I wanted my version to be an everyday dress that I could wear with tights in autumn and winter, nothing fancy, just practical and easy. For fabric I chose a lovely grey corduroy bought from Badger and Earl just before their sad closure earlier this year. From this point on, the project was as much a lesson in working with corduroy as it was in shirt making…. 

I've worked with cord a couple of times before but only on simple skirts requiring very few pattern pieces. The Rosa dress has princess seams, front and back yokes and a two-piece collar and stand, which means lots more pattern pieces and a thousand times more mess. Take it from me, corduroy is a filthy, dirty beast of a fabric and the fluff it generates gets everywhere!  If you're thinking of working with it, I'd highly recommend you read this post beforehand, especially the super helpful reader comments. I used a denim needle and a walking foot, both of which came in very handy when navigating multiple layers of cord.

Because of the thickness of my fabric I used scraps of Liberty lawn (left over from this top) for the button band facings and collar stand - I like the contrast and the pop of red against the grey.

If I had my time again I would have cut the under collar in lawn too, as even with careful trimming there was far too much bulk to contend with. The pattern recommends fine needlecord but the cord I used was probably more of a mid-weight so therefore a bit too heavy. The princess seams and yoke are finished with mock felled seams (overlocked or zig-zagged inside, then top stitched), which did help flatten them down.

I took my time making this dress and construction was a slow but stress-free process thanks to the clear instructions. If you're new to shirt making, this pattern would be a good place to start. As the instructions include photographs of each step I decided to sew the collar according to the pattern rather than by my preferred method. I achieved a good result using Tilly's method, but I still prefer the order of construction Andrea uses - it's just one of those things! The sleeves are set in flat and went in without a fight first time, I really should get into the habit of sewing them that way every time.

To give you an idea of fit, I sewed a size 4 with no fit adjustments to the pattern. This includes the length, so do bear this in mind if you're taller than 5'2" as the hemmed length is above the knee, even on me!

The finished bust measurement for my size is 38 inches, which I hoped would give me just enough room without having to do a FBA (full bust adjustment). My gamble paid off and I'm pleased with the fit of the princess seams over the bust. I think the only fitting change to consider for next time would be a small shoulder adjustment as the shoulders seem a tad wide to me. 

I also made two style changes to the original pattern: I omitted the pockets as I find breast pockets really annoying and decided against the turned-up sleeves. I did intend for them to be turned-up but they felt too casual, as if I'd just rolled my sleeves up rather than an intentional design feature. Instead I simply tapered the width in by an inch at the wrists and hemmed them. I have the arm length of a T-Rex so happily they're just about full length on me. It also solves the problem of cold wrists in winter! 

The weight of the cord does give the finished dress a different feel to what I was expecting, it's almost like a coat dress! I'm still really pleased with it though - this particular shade of grey happens to suits me and it will co-ordinate well with lots of other colours. I've styled it here without tights as we were still clinging on to the last few days of good weather when I took the photos, but from now on I'll definitely be wearing it with tights and brogues on a regular basis. Have a good week! x

The Rosa pattern was given to me free of charge. All views my own.

Magic button sewing tip - it works!

I first came across this simple tip a couple of weeks ago via Emmie on My Oh So Vintage Life and it's now my favourite sewing tip EVER! It's a trick to eliminate gaping between buttons on shirt dresses, specifically at the waist. This is at its most noticeable when you sit down and invariably end up displaying the two inches of flesh you'd rather never saw the light of day again. 

Emmie's tip is sew an inward facing button in the offending area - the trick is to sew it on the inside of the button band so it's invisible from the front. Gahhh!!! Such a simple tip, but so effective! 

Secret button sewn on the inside of the button band (LHS), with buttonhole on the opposite side

I can also confirm that it works for the dreaded boob gape - as soon as I discovered this tip I put it to the test on my Granville Shirt. I absolutely love this shirt, but thanks to my own slapdash methods of button placement (trying to eyeball them rather than measuring properly), it's always gaped at the bust point. It hasn't stopped me wearing it and it's not actually that noticeable, but it is a pain to keep fiddling and pulling the front of my shirt.

Here I am, helpfully pointing to the offending area….

Here's the BEFORE picture…

And here's the AFTER picture….

Yay, no gaping!

When the shirt is buttoned up, the internal button and buttonhole are completely invisible from the front. Just to remind you, the hidden button is between the second and third button down.

 And here's what it looks like from the inside….

This solution may be blindingly obvious to lots of you, but it certainly wasn't to me, so please indulge me! Sorting out a dreaded waist or bust gape is just so satisfying! Two further shirt dresses have also been given the same treatment at the waist with great results. Thank you Emmie, for showing me the light! 

What were the sewing tips that changed your life? Please share, I'd love to know! x

Sew Over It Vintage Shirt Dress

The Vintage Shirt Dress is the latest pattern release from Sew Over It, and one that I said an immediate 'yes' to when asked if I'd like to pattern test it! I was lured in by the vintage details: gathered shoulder seams, cute notched collar, tucks to the bodice and pleats to the skirt. The bodice part is reminiscent of 1930's and 1940's blouses, whilst the fuller skirt reminds me of the 1950's - a lovely combination of styles. The fabric I used is a beautiful blossom print from the Sew Over It shop. Sadly, I don't think the colour I went for (spearmint) is available any longer, but it was a good match for this pattern as it pressed well around the collar and the tucks/pleats are nice and crisp. 

I LOVE the envelope artwork!

There are two pattern variations, with or without sleeves and I chose the sleeveless route. I liked the fact that the cutting line for the sleeveless version is slightly slanted so there's a tiny bit of shoulder on display. One noticeable feature about this dress is that the bodice is designed to be shorter than a typical shirt dress bodice and sits noticeably above the waistline at the front and back. It will appear even shorter if you're large of bust, so I'd recommend measuring the bodice length beforehand to see where it finishes on you. It's also quite generous in the waist, so based on this I made up the size 10 as I wanted a more fitted look. This was a pretty good fit everywhere except for the bust, so I added a one inch FBA (Full Bust Adjustment), plus an extra inch in length to the front bodice and ¼" to the back bodice. The only other fitting change I made was to shorten the skirt by an inch.

I like the final fit a lot, in fact I'm tempted to use the bodice pattern as a starting point for my 1930's-style crepe de chine blouse, using the sleeved version.

The dress construction was straight forward and I was impressed by the clarity of the instructions. The area that often gives me grief when sewing shirt dresses is attaching the collar/facing. I've made the McCall's 4769 shirt dress twice now (here and here) and was actually moved to write a tutorial for the collar section because of the shockingly bad instructions. With this in mind, I scrutinised the instructions for the collar like a hawk and I have to say, they didn't disappoint! Apparently a lot of work went into making this section as clear and well explained as possible - and I think it shows. The only part of the collar I'm not entirely happy with is my choice of interfacing - it wasn't quite lightweight enough, so the finished collar is a bit stiff.

One final thing I did was to add an additional button just below the waistband. The instructions clearly state the importance of positioning buttons at your bust point and above the waist, which I did, but after a few wears, it was clear there was a bit of gaping that needed to be kept in check.

Mind the Gap! 

This isn't specific to this pattern, it's something I've noticed with all the shirt dresses I've made. Wearing a belt is usually a good solution, but I think in future, I'll just add an extra button underneath the waistband as standard. It's not symmetrical but that doesn't bother me, it provides a welcome bit of security when I'm stuffing my face so I'm calling it a design feature!

Shirt dresses aren't the quickest of garments to sew (once you've attached the collar you're then faced with all those buttons and buttonholes!), but I still find them satisfying to make. I like the fact that you get a complete outfit in one go, and in this case, one with such lovely vintage details. This is a great dress for summer that's already seen a lot of wear. I wore it with a cardigan and wedges to the Fashion on the Ration exhibition at the Imperial War Museum recently and felt very suitably attired!

If you like the look of the Vintage Shirt Dress then I have a copy of the pattern up for grabs. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post (don't forget to include your email address if it's not linked to your Blogger profile). The giveaway is open worldwide and closes at midnight GMT on Sunday 7th June. If you're not the lucky winner, then don't panic, Sew Over It are also offering 20% off the pattern for readers of this blog for the next week. Just input the code JANE20VSD at the checkout in their online shop. The discount code expires at midnight on Wednesday 10th June.  Have a good week! x


Fabric and pattern were given to me free of charge for pattern testing. All views my own.

Hemingway Design fabric giveaway

After running a whole WEEK of daily giveaways for One Week, One Pattern, I vowed to take a bit of a break from giveaways for a while. All was going swimmingly until I was offered the chance to give away some Hemingway Design fabric. I fell hard for this lovely mid-century inspired collection as soon as I clapped eyes on it, so how could I deny my readers the opportunity of owning a metre? The answer was, I couldn't, so it's giveaway time!

The giveaway came about when Tracy from Trixie Lixie contacted me after reading my post on the fabrics. As well as a giveaway for my readers, she very kindly offered to let me choose fabric from the collection to make something fabulous with. Oh joy of joys! Trixie Lixie stocks the full collection, which actually makes the job of choosing one even harder.  In the end I went with one of my original favourites - Duck Egg Grid - which will be swiftly turned into a shirt dress come spring.

The full collection comprises 29 designs, some of which I hadn't even seen when I wrote my first post. Here's just a taster of some of the colours and patterns used:

I can tell you first hand that the fabric is a lovely, soft cotton, which I think will be perfect for dressmaking. The colours and patterns have a really authentic vintage feel too, they'd be great made up into a fifties inspired shirt dress or a cute blouse. Or even cushions to add a fifties flavour to your couch!

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is look at the Hemingway Design Collection on the Trixie Lixie website and leave  a comment on this post telling me which one is your favourite. The winner will receive one metre of Hemingway Design fabric of their choice. The giveaway is open internationally and closes at midnight GMT on Monday 10th November. Please make sure you leave your email address if it's not linked to your Blogger profile so I can contact you if you're the winner. 

A big thank you to Trixie Lixie for the giveaway and good luck everybody! x

Finished: Denim Shirt Dress

After the endless denim talk on my blog recently, I thought I'd better show you my first (but definitely not my last!) denim make of the year - a denim shirt dress using McCall's 6696. I decided on this pattern after being completely bowled over by Sew Dixie Lou's summery sleeveless version. I didn't want to wait until summer to make it though - I needed a dress that I could wear during the day with boots and tights - and that's when the idea for a denim shirt dress was born.

For fabric I used a dark, dress weight denim from Minerva Crafts which I initially thought might be a bit too stiff, but it actually behaved itself perfectly whilst I was making the dress. The sturdiness of the fabric ensured everything matched up and the seams and darts were easy to press flat. The pattern was also a delight to use - I went for view D, which features a straight skirt with inset pockets and longer sleeves. I measured all the pattern pieces beforehand (as advised by Clare) and was satisfied that the size 14 would be the right fit. I also seem to have cunningly side stepped the whole issue of a FBA with this dress as the pattern allows for different cup sizes. Separate bodice pieces are given depending on the difference between your high bust measurement and your full bust measurement. Please note: the cup sizes on this pattern are NOT the same as bra cup sizes so you'll need to measure yourself carefully to see which bodice piece you need. I  cut a straight size 14 all over and a C cup. The only change I made to the pattern pieces was to shorten the skirt by 2.5 inches.

I really like most of the features on this dress but there are still a couple of things that the jury's out about. After sewing up the original pointy cuffs, I decided they looked way too pointy pointy and alien-like, so swapped them for straight ones. ("Pointy birds, pointy, pointy. anoint my head, anointy, nointy"- five gold stars to anyone who can tell me which film that line is from….) The gathered back also takes a bit of getting used to - I do like a yoke and a few gathers, but this is maybe a gather too far. Despite the good fit across the bust (hoorah), the lower bodice feels a bit baggy and is a looser fit than I'm used to. After a bit of pondering, I left the bodice as it was and it hasn't killed me, it's actually really comfortable to wear. This is supposed to be a dress version of a pair of jeans after all. If in doubt, I can always add a belt...

Taking my own advice from my Tips for Sewing with Denim post, I used contrasting cotton poplin (last seen on my blue rose drawstring top ) for the pockets and under collar.

Contrast pocket, you can just see the straight cuff too

If I'd had a bit more fabric to spare, I would have cut the inner yoke and waistband pieces from it too, which would have made the inside even prettier. It's slightly annoying that the under collar is actually visible when I wear the dress. For some reason I was thinking it would be buttoned up to the neck. Why? Why? It's a well known fact that I hate anything too tight around the neck. I'm such a dumbo sometimes!

The instructions call for the front band to be attached to the top and bottom of the dress with a few slip stitches, which wasn't going to satisfy me, The front bands and the waistband were all firmly topstitched into submission. One good thing about sewing with denim is that you can never have enough topstitching. The more you add, the better your garment looks!

Top stitched front bands and vintage buttons

I'm really happy with the end result, I now have a dress that fits well, is super comfortable and made of denim. What more could you ask for?! If you'd like to make a denim shirt dress of your own, you can buy a Minerva kit comprising two metres of medium weight, indigo denim (the fabric is wide so I was able to cut out the whole long sleeved dress from two metres), McCalls 6696 and matching denim thread. If you plan on top stitching the life out of your dress then you may wish to purchase additional denim thread as I ran out half way through.

Happy Friday everybody!  x

The kit was given to me free of charge as part of the Minerva Crafts Blogger Network. All views my own.

The world of denim

Do you sometimes feel like a sewing project is bewitched? My vintage raincoat started out so well but has gone rapidly downhill over the last few days. This morning, I attempted to attach the sleeves SIX TIMES before finally admitting defeat. Luckily, I took a deep breath, stepped away from the offending raincoat and ordered more fabric to redraft the sleeves. The alternative was to slash the entire thing with scissors, which would have made me feel better - but maybe not for long.

So, instead of working myself into a frenzy about a pair of crappy sleeves, I've decided to immerse myself in my next project, which will be sewing my denim shirt dress. Hoorah, even just typing that sentence has brightened up my day. I know for a fact that this dress will be a well worn staple in my wardrobe - and that's before I've even made it. How do I know this? Well, everything I've ever made from denim (my Ginger skirt, Kelly skirt and stretch capri trousers) has been worn and worn to death. Perhaps it's because denim is quite forgiving in fit (especially stretch denim) and tends to mostly flatter the wearer. It's hard wearing, long lasting and doesn't show the dirt, so you can wear your denim items until they're virtually standing up on their own with grime.  I love sewing with denim and am in the process of putting together a 'Tips for sewing with denim' post, which I'm hoping will be useful to some of you. In the meantime, let's feast our eyes on a few highs and lows of this wonder fabric.

Historically, denim's durability and strength made it a popular fabric with manual workers such as cowboys and miners. It was also perfect for workwear in the form of overalls or dungarees as it protected the clothes worn underneath.

It started to become more popular in the 1950's and was even advertised as a dressmaking fabric. I had to look up the word "sanforized' from the ad below, but apparently it means, "to preshrink a fabric using a patented process."

Adorable denim playsuit

A super-chic denim ensemble from 1950

Most of us are perfectly content to wear one item of denim clothing at a time and this look, in my opinion, is effortlessly stylish.

Marilyn Monroe

Joe Orton: king of the turn-up

Jane Birkin looking fab

For some however,  this isn't sufficient. and they feel the need to wear it on both their top and bottom halves. Otherwise known as 'double denim', this is a dangerous fashion territory in which to wander, and there are only a fabled few who can artfully pull off this difficult look. 

The double denim winners…

The king (naturally)

Steve McQueen 

and the losers….

Gotta love Shakin' Stevens

?????

The highs by far outweigh the lows though, as there's very little denim can do wrong in my book. This little round-up has definitely put me in a positive frame of mind for starting work on my denim shirt dress. What's your take on denim? Love it? Hate it? Or are you a proud double denim aficionado? I leave you with a clip for Denim aftershave, the favoured scent of rugged He-Men throughout the 1970's. Interesting fact…. my husband's one and only party trick is to do an exact rendition of the voice over in this ad. Oh yes, he's one talented man! x

Blue rose shirt dress

My big news for today is that my blue rose shirt dress is finished. Hoorah! A few stumbling blocks were flung across my path during the making of it, including half term holidays and a serious buttonhole foot malfunction. But now it's finally completed, I'm glad I made it at my own pace and didn't try to rush the making of this lovely dress.

This is the second time I've used McCall's 4769 (the first being my Jubilee dress), so I knew I didn't need to make any further adjustments to the pattern. In fact I didn't have to make any the first time round, just shortening the skirt using the petite lines on the pattern. 

For fabric I used my all time favourite Liberty print - Carline - which is a fab blue rose print on a cream background. It was a tight squeeze cutting out all the pattern pieces as I only had two metres, but omitting the pockets and sleeve bands seemed to just about swing it. It's fully underlined with silk cotton (apart from the sleeves), which makes a massive difference both in opacity and feel. The blue of the roses really pops with the white underlining and the dress now has a luxurious weightiness to it that I love.

Inside...

..and outside

My first version of this dress only has six buttons and buttonholes, and with hindsight, I think a couple of extra ones wouldn't have gone amiss. So this time round I made eight buttonholes, which gives the dress that extra bit of security! 

And finally, I managed to use the last scraps of my Watch this Lace trimming on the hem. It's a perfect colour match too - don't you just love it when that happens?!

For those of you who were interested in a tutorial on attaching the collar and facings, I think I have enough photos and will put something together over the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, here I am prancing around in my new dress...

I love how it looks with a waspie belt

Can my cheeks possibly look any more hamster like?

Yes, they can!

I just love shirt dresses - they're so easy to wear and manage to effortlessly travel that difficult path between casual and dressed up. I know I'm going to love wearing this dress over the summer. x