Supplement 301 - Model #154 - Summer 2016
Classic Long Blouse (turned shirt dress)
While I wait for my newest Supplement #302 to arrive I thought I'd share with you what I made from the last supplement. It's funny, right before this supplement arrived in my mailbox I had a dream I was making a shirt dress out of light colored chambray. When I saw this style in supp. 301 I knew it was meant to be!
Pattern Drafting Hints:
The letters next to the pattern number indicate this is a blouse but I just couldn't imagine wearing a blouse this long. My intention all along was to belt it for a dress. Just to get an idea of how roomy this "blouse" really is here is a photo without the belt.
It really is as loose as it appears in the drawing. Oh, and the sides really are cut very high to create that classic shirt tail hem. There are nice long shaping darts in the back but without a belt I feel like this should have more shape in the front too. I suppose it depends on how you want to style it.
Fabric Used/Suggested:
Unfortunately I could not find the light colored chambray I was hoping for at my fabric store. I ended up using a lovely Nicole Miller fabric in a dreamy 100% Lyocell fabrication. Lyocell is actually a type of rayon so the fabric care recommendations are very similar. This fabric does feel just a little heavier than challis. I would imagine almost any lightweight woven fabric would do for this blouse.
Design Changes:
As you can see I left the sleeves and pocket off of this blouse. If I had put sleeves on it I knew I wouldn't be able to wear it until the weather cooled. Leaving the sleeves off lead me to another design change that wasn't expected. The arm holes had such a huge gaping issue that I had to put a fitting dart in from the arm hole to the bust. Normally this would require reshaping the sleeve too but since I didn't have any this was not an issue. The pocket I felt would draw too much attention to my bust and I would never use it so why bother? So, other than my usual bust and length alterations this pattern went together easy, peasy.
Closing Hints:
I have to say I like this blouse well enough but I'm afraid it isn't the shirt dress of my dreams. I'll be on the lookout for another pattern with more shaping and perhaps a yoke at the top. Now that the weather should be getting cooler I suppose I may be over the whole shirt dress thing by next Summer anyway, we'll see.
So, am I the only one who has dreams of sewing? Feel free to leave your comments below.
Happy sewing to all,
Ann in Calif.
Design Changes:
As you can see I left the sleeves and pocket off of this blouse. If I had put sleeves on it I knew I wouldn't be able to wear it until the weather cooled. Leaving the sleeves off lead me to another design change that wasn't expected. The arm holes had such a huge gaping issue that I had to put a fitting dart in from the arm hole to the bust. Normally this would require reshaping the sleeve too but since I didn't have any this was not an issue. The pocket I felt would draw too much attention to my bust and I would never use it so why bother? So, other than my usual bust and length alterations this pattern went together easy, peasy.
Closing Hints:
I have to say I like this blouse well enough but I'm afraid it isn't the shirt dress of my dreams. I'll be on the lookout for another pattern with more shaping and perhaps a yoke at the top. Now that the weather should be getting cooler I suppose I may be over the whole shirt dress thing by next Summer anyway, we'll see.
So, am I the only one who has dreams of sewing? Feel free to leave your comments below.
Happy sewing to all,
Ann in Calif.
