Vintage shirt dress by Sew Over It

Hi all!

May I present the newest addition to my ever expanding dress collection: The vintage shirtdress by Sew Over It. The pattern for this dress is one of the two patterns I got a few days ago:

I started working on this dress almost immediately since I happened to have a suitable viscose fabric ready. (Again a find from the factory remnants section…) I was between the sizes 8 and 10 and decided to cut the size 10 to be sure and add a bit to the hem to be able to adjust the length of the skirt (Note to self: The next time remember to add the extra length to the facings, too!). I also added 1,5 cm extra length to the bodice in case I needed to lower the waistline.

Sewing the dress was quite easy. I tried the dress on before the sleeves were added and the long bodice was too much and the bodice was too wide in any case. I ripped the waist seam and cut away the extra length. I needed to take about 1,5 cm (a total of 6 cm) off from the side seams to make the dress less loose. On a whim I decided not to take in from the skirt but instead transformed the extra width to pleats.

I wanted short sleeves so I had already cut the sleeves a little shorter than in the sleeve pattern. To add a bit girlyness I gathered the extra width at the sleeve and finished the sleeve with a narrow cuff.

I did not manage to add much to the length of the skirt because I forgot to lengthen the facings. By turning the hem over the facing I, however, increased the length by about 2 cm.

I had some brown vintage buttons that suited my fabric and the look of the dress nicely. However the waistband was still quite loose and to give the dress some stability I added my first ever waist stay that I anchored to the waist seam from a few places. I must add that it also prevents the button band from gaping if I gorge myself with too much food!

So, here is the final result. I am quite pleased with it and it looks just as I imagined it would look. I particularly love the collar! I think that the extra width that the side pleats give to the skirt is a good addition since it adds a bit curves to my hips. I am also proud of my pattern matching at the center front!

The back looks also great. The size 10 was originally too baggy at the back but after I took in the side seams the dress fits very beautifully.

There is plenty of skirt for me to have a bit of a twirl which I like! On colder days I can throw a cardigan or a leather jacket over the dress and still wear it.

The shirt dress craze has clearly overtaken the patternmakers and sewists alike. I am already planning another shirt dress, this time a sleeveless one using McCall’s 6696. However, I don’t know whether I can resist the new Penny dress from Sew Over It, so it might be the next project after that!

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