Well, I’ve been creeping along on my shirtdress…finding a few minutes here and there to stitch a seam, set in a sleeve, etc.
As I was reading some concerns of others over the blousiness of the back of this dress, it got me thinking that I really don’t need that kind of pouf on my dress, in that place. I am wanting a sleeker, more fitted look to the back.
So, here’s what I did:
WARNING! These are not pretty pictures! My actual final pattern piece looks much prettier!
WARNING! These are not pretty pictures! My actual final pattern piece looks much prettier!
I eliminated the tucks at the waist. This is easy…I folded in one of the and eased it to nothing along the length of the back. Then I created a dart about the depth of the last two tucks, and added it at about where the center tuck was on each side. At the same time, I reduced some of the gathers under the yoke, pinching out some of the excess to nothing toward the mid back.
I still have a good amount of ease through the back, which is important, but I have eliminated some of that excess fabric. I'm certainly no expert in this sort of thing, and I do tend to make some modifications by intuition...but what I ended up with is this:
I still have a good amount of ease through the back, which is important, but I have eliminated some of that excess fabric. I'm certainly no expert in this sort of thing, and I do tend to make some modifications by intuition...but what I ended up with is this:
And the back of my bodice looks like this now:
My Two in One Sewalong Dress is nearly complete! I've gotta admit...this is a pretty cute dress.
So, here it is, the middle of summer and I find myself wanting dresses. Simple, sheath dresses that are lightweight, cotton, and can be worn with a jacket or little cardi tossed over them for work. I can barely stand the thought of pants at this time of year, and the fact is, my closet is lacking in simple shift dresses…in solids and prints. Since I've recently done a major closet clean out, these would be good basics to have on hand.
I was totally inspired by Carolyn’s multiple designs of her “Peyton” dress, and Mary’s recent summer BBQ dress, and while browsing the pattern catalogs during my lunch hours, I’m noticing there is no shortage of simple sheath dresses out there. And how easy would they be to make up?
So, here’s what I’m thinking:
A few patterns that have stood out to me:
A few fabrics from my stash:
And I should be good to go! I can breeze through the rest of the summer with nary a hot flash!
You're making great progress on that shirt dress.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking sheath dresses since April, but somehow I keep churning out other things. How does that work? Love, love, love those prints that you've picked.
"So, here it is, the middle of summer and I find myself wanting dresses. Simple, sheath dresses that are lightweight, cotton, and can be worn with a jacket or little cardi tossed over them for work. I can barely stand the thought of pants at this time of year"
ReplyDeleteMy sentiments exactly! I love following along with your alterations on this dress, looking forward to the finish :-)
When the weather was wicked I felt flashes.....but they stopped when the intense heat broke, thank goodne
ReplyDeleteSe
pretty floral sheath dresses with a cardy - sounds delightful and cheers up this dark, cold winter night. Can hardly wait to see them.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for the big reveal - your dress is looking really good. Good luck with the plans for the dresses.
ReplyDeleteI just love that fabric, your dress is going to look so pretty! Great idea eliminating those tucks too. The floral print is going to show up so much better with the more streamlined design you have created. :)
ReplyDelete