I love the blog A Dress a Day, so much so that when Erin posted about this fabric, and said that someone should make a shirt dress out of it, I said, “Yes ma’am!”
and an action shot, so you can see the neat chevrons the pattern makes on the sides
I got my fabric on sale from The Fat Quarter Shop, but they don’t have it anymore (actually, looks like almost no one has it anymore– what the heck with discontinuing super-cool fabric?). I think of all the things I’ve made post-baby, I am happiest/most excited about this (sad, it has taken a year!). Instead of going my usual cut-corners and craft quick route, I took it slow- traced all of the pattern markings carefully, basted pieces together before stitching, and hand-stitched where the pattern indicated. My bernina’s automatic buttonholer was also a HUGE help. It took up the majority of two whole babysitter days to make and was totally worth it. I think I could probably make more clothes if I did the cutting, marking and ironing when HMB sleeps, and then the stitching when she is busy with the babysitter! I have to go through my patterns and fabric for another likely candidate.
Anyway, I used McCall’s 5378 with some modifications for fit and pattern weirdness (those odd slouchy pushed-up sleeves had to go). I used some cream satin-covered buttons I had lying around. I’ll be writing up a review on Pattern Review right after I hit publish on this baby, if you’re interested in making a dress using this pattern yourself! Despite some issues, I really liked it and I’d like to have one in a soft, fine-wale corderoy too…