New Year - making the Shift

So fortunately my first main sewing project turned out ok! It usually takes me 2 disasters per wearable outfit so this was a nice surprise.



Its a self drafted pattern - a classic shift dress. I cannot recommend Winifred Aldrich - Pattern Cutting for Women's Wear enough. It's my sewing bible. The instructions are clear and precise, easy to follow and doesn't require mountains of special equipment. I draft my patterns on baking paper! A ruler, calculator and french curve suffice to draw the pattern out.

What I SHOULD have done is make the pattern, then make a muslin for a perfect fit, disassemble and create a fresh pattern from the muslin. But I'm lazy and didn't.

The basic fit without adjustment was fine however I tweaked the bust and waist darts a little to make the fit more accurate.

I've wanted a blue dress for ages then after a clear out of the stash realised I had enough to make a basic dress! Its not lined but it does have an invisible zip, overlocked seams and a neck facing to keep it neat and tidy. I figures a slip underneath would keep tights from sticking, or it would be just fine and light for warmer weather as it is. Plus again, I was being lazy and wanted a finished dress.

The fabric is crepe and has a very slight stretch with is handy for bending and sitting! 

I have used this pattern last year to make a shorter space print 'cosmic shift' (get it!? - geek joke).


Hopefully this can be a good staple pattern for a few more colours - coral for spring perhaps? :-)

4 comments:

  1. Both of these dresses look great. I can never wear shift dresses like this because they are always too long for me, but now I have seen the cosmic one (which I LOVE and looks amazing on you!) I might have a go at making a shorter length one for myself. Thanks :-)

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  2. And that's the beauty of sewing Sophs, make it how you like girl! x

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  3. "2 disaster per wearable outfit" haha I had to laugh! What a nice "definition". I don't know about my disaster-rate but I need to figure it out - that's kind of a quality-management haha :). I love this blue colour!

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    1. I'm probably lying, its more like 3 or 4 ;-)

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