The shirt fabric was another story. I had a pattern in a recent Burda in mind and it seemed a good option. While this pattern doesn't have many details the ones that are there are obscured by the print. More photos below on the dress form so you can see the seaming.
If you look very closely at the shoulders you can see that it's a raglan shirt, with a dart at the top of the shoulder for shaping, and the raglan creates a yoke across the back.
I washed and dried the shirt fabric and decided that it might be a wool challis. A fabric I've not sewn with in ages, it's not something you come across in stores very often (ever). Slight editorial comment/rant here - the selection of wools at all stores other than Britex or Mood is really diminished. I suppose people don't as often wear the type of clothes that are usually made of wool and they are quite expensive so if you are making a coat or jacket in a nice wool the investment is pretty high. And then if you are not sure if it's going to turn out as a wearable, well-fitting item...I can see the hesitation. But I love wool in all forms, particularly wool crepe. It's an ideal fabric for dresses although I guess the wash and wear-ness of ponte knits has surpassed wool crepe.
Anyway, back to this pattern
The colors in this print were enough to sell me even thought it's not as bright as things I usually like. There's a border print along one selvedge, which I didn't really know what to do with, not suitable for this pattern so I used it on the sleeves. You can just see the white stripes on each sleeve near the cuff. I cut the whole thing out on the crossgrain both to use the border and for consistency of the print, which accidentally sort-of matches or at least flows across the front.
Here's the tech drawing so you can see the rounded yoke and raglan sleeve. This shirt has a cut-on facing which made it really quick to sew. And a 💖 for the fact that it was the black pattern lines to trace. I always like a pattern more when I see that it's not the red lines which I find the most difficult to trace.
One more look at the shirt, I'm not sure what the pattern said to do with the sleeve, I think it was elastic at the bottom but I just put in a bias strip cuff slit opening and then button cuffs. I pleated the extra into the cuff as would be on any shirt.
Onto the skirt - this fabric was really a lucky find. It was a big piece so I used about 1.25 yards on this skirt and then gave the rest to my friend who is @zigzagstitching on IG.
This is maybe the 4th or 5th version of this skirt, I have one in denim which I wear all the time in the summer, and then a white version plus a couple more. On some of them I have omitted the waistband and changed that to a waist facing, but for this one I went back to a waistband as I thought it looked good with the shirt tucked in.
I think this is real ultra suede - or at least a very nice version of faux suede, as it sewed up beautifully and it doesn't have the plastic-y feeling of some faux suedes or leathers. I feels like real suede. Treating it like real suede I didn't sew a hem, just cut it off at the length that I wanted. Which is about 5 inches longer than the Vogue pattern as originally designed. (everyone makes some adjustment on the length!)
Here's the skirt pattern, it's maybe from about 7 years ago? And it calls for you to put bias binding around the inner pocket bags, which I have never done :) and I generally piece them so they are mostly made from lining fabric which means I can cut the skirt out with much less fabric. I made the top once and hated it!
Back view on me, the seaming of the front pockets is continued on the back. Here's the dress from view. I decided to use a regular (not invisible) zipper and put a skirt hook at the waistband for a closure.
For the waistband I cut out a piece about 3 inches wide and then the skirt top measurement plus a few inches for overlap and then just sewed it on. I decided about 1" wide looked nice so I turned it under and then stitched in the ditch to finish it, and trimmed off the excess.
Here's a news flash - I actually used my walking foot on this one. This fabric was very pinnable, no problems there. But it was a tiny bit sticky as I sewed and I had the walking foot out since I was making a Tamarack quilted jacket as preparation for teaching the class at Hello Stitch. So I tried it and it was helpful. But I am NOT a walking foot convert at all - only use in very select circumstances. It seems so clunky to me, I can't understand when people say they sew everything with it. and extra noise as compared to the regular foot. But it has some uses.
So that's the scoop on this project. It's kind of nice to make a whole outfit for a change, i.e. a top that goes with a skirt and looks intentional. I have a bad habit of making any separate that strikes my interest, a top, a jacket, a skirt, etc and then figuring out what the heck I will wear with it. I guess that's what makes sewing dresses rather satisfying. In that case you only have to figure out which shoes to wear with it, right?
Up next at Hello Stitch - the month of April is going to be a marathon, we have a LOT of classes scheduled and there are a few spots open in the next session of the Bondi dress class (April 7) and the Lander pants class (April 28). The first 3 Saturdays in April are our Level 1 Sewing (which is full) and then Level 2 Sewing which I think has a couple of spots open. Check the link for all the classes and register soon as they are filling up. I think we will be doing a culottes class sometime in the summer - have to figure out some pattern suggestions for that one. And I'm just about to start another pair of Ash jeans for myself (Jeans making class is June 1 and 8). This version will be the wide leg crop version in a black shimmer denim. It's a risk but I think they will be cute!
Up next on the blog, I have sewn two versions of the Grainline Tamarack jacket, one was a sample for the class and then another version for my mom in a lovely color combo. Currently I'm finished a wool jacket from a Burda magazine pattern that called to me, it needs to get done soon so I can wear it before our hot weather arrives. And then it will be summer dress time !!!
But we have more chilly rain forecast this week so perhaps I'll wear my suede skirt and shirt again soon.
Happy spring sewing, Beth
Today's garden photo - a lovely tulip. And suddenly they are all blooming, this morning I took so many photos. Even some striped ones which I forgot all about planting last fall. That's the fun thing about bulbs - they are the nicest surprise just when you need some garden cheer.
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