I was so pleased with the outcome of the first sleeveless shirt dress that I made a couple of weeks ago, that I wanted to repeat the success using some fabric from my stash before the Summer ended.

I found some pretty Blue background floral printed quilting weight cotton that I had purchased back in 2015 from a little shop in Hunstanton when I was visiting relatives in North Norfolk. The fabric is Rue de Fleur for Fine Lines Fabric and once laundered there was 2.95 metres x 107cms wide.

I used the same TNT bodice pattern as for the previous sleeveless shirt dress – now known as a ‘Kirstie’ as the style reminds me of Kirstie Allsop of Location, Location, Location fame (although all of her dresses appear to have sleeves).

As I was a little short of fabric, this version has a skirt cut from twice the width of fabric x 29inches long which is gathered into the waistline seam. Oh and it has pockets at each side set into a slash as there are no side seams, only a centre back seam.

The original bodice pattern was drafted for set-in sleeves so for a sleeveless version I remove the 5/8^th inch seam allowance from the armhole before adding a bias binding. I cut the bias binding 1¼ inches wide and fold in half (wrong sides together). I then stitch the raw edges matched to the right side of the armhole using a 1/8^th seam allowance. The binding is turned to the inside and top stitched close to the folded edge of the bias binding.

For this version I used 11 x 5/8^th inch buttons set 2¼ inches apart, that I had bought from C&H fabrics in Winchester.

All raw edges inside the dress have been overlocked. I folded up 2 inches for the hem which was then stitched in place by hand.

I have purchased yet another jersey tie front shrug to wear with this dress and think that it will be an ideal outfit for transition to the colder months of Autumn.