The Western Plaid Shirtdress M6696

If there's ever a time when you find yourself thinking "what will make Chrystal snap?" Sewing 18 buttonholes for this dress is the correct answer. You know that scene from home alone where Joe Pesci starts mumbling "frigg-a-fuda-fuda" repeatedly? Try sewing 18 buttonholes; you'll realize you start to sound a lot like him - maybe a little less PG; Mumbling and with a distinctive look of murder twinkling in my eye as it switches uncontrollably.

It's not like buttonholes are difficult. I have a buttonhole foot that is automatic - A lazy sewists dream, but doing it 18 times on a plaid dress trying to line button hole to button perfectly. Cutting open each button hole without cutting the sides too much. It's the monotony of it all that drives my brain bonkers. Why 18 you say? Because I convinced myself that white buttons can only go on top of white checks in my plaid. The plaid is 1" plaid. Yeah....I hate myself too (But oh so thankful that I am such a shorty that I only need 36" height from collar to hemline). But I sure do love the outcome.....but please disregard the small bald patch that I ripped out of my hair. Minor details.

And let's talk about plaid. Why does it even exist? As a form of torture? Yes I believe that MUST be the truth of it. I wanted, nay NEEDED everything to match. I went to far as to put in extra effort; pins and markings and the whole shabam to make sure this baby matched. But alas, I still had to get creative to match that buttonband. If you look closely you'll notice my waistbands don't match.... Ooooopsie. One may be 2" thick and the other....a little more than that and not so straigh. And All that plaid matching gone to shit. But hey...the buttonband is nice and matchy matchy!

And plaid yokes. I should have been more mindfully and cut it on the bias for added pretty factor. Cause who doens't love to be distracted by pretty pretty pretty pretty. But my brain was on square mode (As am I most of the time) and I sewed right on with the plaid matching across that seam line. I was selective on which seams required matching. The order went: buttonband, back yoke.....to hell with everything else. I'm very invested in plaid matching if you can't tell...even with that WANT for matching.

 

Now let's talk luscious fabric that makes you squeal....namely robert kaufman....hello my lover, let me caress your smooth cotton weave again....you're so squishy and ironing pleats in you is so satisfying....so nice....mmmmm....oh! You're still here? I'm having a private moment with my fabric if you'll excuse me...

Ok I'm done. to summarize...I love robert kaufman. And want everybody to forever more gift me with Robert Kaufman fabrics. You've been told.

Now lets talk pattern. The ever loved M6696. So I've been progressing in my weight loss, and when I made this dress in January I cut the D-cup size 14, and now, in March, I cut a D-cup size 10 bust, grading to a 12 waist and skirt. I wanted a snugger fit under the arms and across my bust. The size 14 was roomier even then, and this size 10 fits perfect with not much ease which is appreciated. Yay for healthy lifestyle changes but nay for having to retrace all of my patterns....

That is a SERIOUS Rump! Thanks Wind!

Otherwise as you can see....I used shortsleeves so I could wear this into Spring, and used the full pleated skirt again because alas this rumpity rump still needs a little coverage.

And why Western? Because I have a Western themed formal event to go to this evening and I'ma wear my new Dress!

Details

Pattern: M6696
Size: Size 10 Bodice D-cup, graded to Size 12 for waist and skirt
Fabric: Robert Kaufman Blue 1" Plaid
Alterations: Removed gathers from back completely.

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1950's Housewife Shirtdress M6696

After making the Deer&Doe Bruyere shirt and shirt dress, I decided to make my foray into the world of shirt dresses. And if you're going into the shirt dress world, of course one must start with the dearly beloved McCalls 6696: The lovechild of the sewing blog world.

Absolutely everybody has made or is intending to make this shirtdress. And with so much positive feedback from everybody, I went in assuming I'd have the same happy experience. I am proud to say this pattern is as great as everybody else has gushed about. It really is almost perfect.

The pattern comes with 4 variations and 4 cup sizes. It really is a pattern that produces many varying results. I went for the bodice from View D with the long sleeves and v cuffs and paired it with the skirt from View A. I loved the pleats and always appreciate a fuller skirt to hide my rumpity-rump a little. I cut a D-cup in a size 14. You mean no full bust adjustment? That sounds just swell.

This fabric is 100% cotton from Fabricland. It is from the quilting cotton section, but feels significantly softer than any quilting cotton I've ever felt. This is actually my first time ever using anything even resembling a quilting cotton. I started out using Ponte's and thick knits and then decided to try my hand at stable fabrics. My logic was that darts&fitting are more difficult than sewing with knits. (I think I'm still right on that because the entire concept of fitting still eludes me and I really make adjustments all willy-nilly and thus far they just happen to work out for me!)

As you can see, I've used a contrast fabric for the Collar and underside of the V-cuffs. This is Robert Kaufman chambray in Mustard. After using Robert Kaufman fabrics for both my Bruyere's I've fallen in love with the feel, the weight, and the designs of his fabrics so immediately ordered chambray in pretty much every colour way and pattern I could. You'll see more anchors and fishy's in my future.

I cut the fabric with the flowered stripes going vertical, except for the waistband, which I unconveniently hid under this belt, where the flowers go horizontal. You know..what every girl wants; her waitband pattern to be horizontal to really add some nice girth to her middle section. Yeah, real smart Chrystal...... Maybe think a little bit more beyond "ohhhh pretty" next time.....So belt it is!

Nice close up of those pleats. They were rather tedious to line up but my my my does cotton ever hold a pleat. Wait you knew this already? Oh sorry, I'm slow to every party.....Oh wait, that's a basic of sewing and ironing? .....So maybe domesticity isn't my forte.....But look pretty pleats!

My pockets are made with a black silk remnant I had in my stash. It's silk and doesn't add any bulk to my "Hellllllllllllllllo Hips" area.

And no I didn't centre my vine fabric on my button placket......your welcome type-A's

The buttons are totally generic blue buttons. Aint nothing special there....move along.

Now, the back of this bodice, I left with all the gathers. I like the billowy effect it has. It's a tad sticky-outy do to the weight of lack of drape of the cotton, but overall I think it looks good. The next one I make I'll take out the gathers from the top and just leave a little on the bottom.....must maintain some distraction from my rumpity-rump.

And for you Type-A's out there, I apologize for not lining up the vines from my yoke to my bodice, I just couldn't care less about such things. Look at it this way, I did a fairly good job of keeping them unaligned evenly?

And where the source of all my power comes from: The Wings. AKA the pretty yellow underside of my v cuffs which I topstitched with blue because, again, "ohhhhhhh pretty!"

Ps. Check out my goosebumps on my arm in the above photo. It was -25C when I took these photos. Cold weather can't hold me back! (I may have retreated inside when I could no longer press the shutter button due to lack of feeling in my fingers.)

Details

Pattern: McCall's 6696 View - Top of D with Skirt of A

Size: 14 - D Cup

Fabric: 100% Cotton

Alterations:

• Shortened the skirt length to hit just above the knee
• Sewed it completely by machine/serger - No hand sewing for this girl
• Moved the button placement to better suit my needs

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Ahoy hoy V1102

Ahoy hoy friends of summer! Long time no bloggy blog.

So, I've been sewing.....just not blogging. The weather has been terrible for the past month until recently. And the sun is now shining so bright you hear me protest loudly every time I step indoors. I want to relish this weather. And how does one do that? In a beautiful sun dress of course!

This is V1102. The first paper pattern I ever purchased. And, it took be over a year to make it. But my love for this pattern persisted and I found this luscious anchor 100% cotton fabric that I just knew would keep this dress style in a playful mood for me.

I cut the size 16 and did a 1 inch full bust adjustment. Through flat pattern measuring I knew that both the neckline and the armholes would gap. To mend these, I took 1/2" wedge out of the neckline as well as 1/4" wedge out of the armhole and twisted both of those into the dart. I made a muslin of only the bodice and realized that the back was gaping so I removed two sets of 1/4" wedges, one of each opposite curve, on the back piece and removed 1 inch from the centre back as there was lots of overlap there.

Phew, adjustments right?

Well, they were all worth it. I went ahead and cut my anchors fabric, making sure that the grainline was straight as could be, and put my faith in my body molding to this new pattern cause I did everything I could to make the pattern mold to me! And it worked!

The get a crisp edge to my bodice, I lined did a full lining out of Bemberg Rayon. (Ps, Fabricland was switching lining distributors and sold their entire lining selection for $1/m. I bought 40 metres of lining. Black, Navy, light Grey, and a very soft yellow. Yay for cheap!)  I also tried really hard to avoid anchor nipples, but I only partially succeeded  with one anchor not getting FULLY hidden into the dart. Whatcha gonna do right?

Now, the instructions for this pattern are a little wonky because there are too many pattern pieces. They have you do both a full lining AND facings. What? WHY. That's ridiculous. So I opted to only do a full lining. I actually didn't follow the instructions because after one read through I was thoroughly confused and didn't need them. My preferred lining method is to sew the shoulder seams, sew the lining to the neckline and armholes, and finally pull the pieces through the shoulder seam, then finally stitching the side seams together.

The only difference with V1120, is the back ties, this made the full lining slightly more difficult. I simply sewed the back ties to the bodice, and sewed the lining really carefully, being careful to not sew the ties to the lining. It got a bit snug, while attaching the lining with the ties tucked underneath, so I sewed really slowly.

After I made the bodice, I decided against the recommended circle skirt. I have a lot of circle skirts, wanted it to be a little more casual. I opted for a simple gathered skirt with in seam pockets. I used the entire 60" width of the fabric for the front and back pieces. Gathered with my sewing machine with the tension on 9, and serged all seams, including the waist seam.

I finished this dress in a day. The only problem with sewing a dress in a day, on a Sunday at that, is having to work with what you have on hand, and I sadly only had a purple invisible zipper on hand. I worked with is, but I do regret it as the back tab is very visible in the back, but I don't care enough, because CUTE DRESS FOR WORK ON MONDAY!

I feel like a cupcake in this dress and it makes me SO happy!

Details

Pattern: Vogue 1102
Size: 16
Fabric: 100% Cotton
Alteration: 

• 1" Full bust adjustment
• 1/2" reduction to neckline twisted into dart
• 1/2" reduction to arm scythe twisted into dart
• 1" taken out of back middle seam
• 1/4" wedges removed from back pattern piece to reduce gaping
• Used a gathered skirt 

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