I cannot think what possessed me to purchase 8 yards of this colourful 100% cotton print from Fabricland, but it has come in very useful for test garments. Having completed the first of the Lisette tunics and as the sun was shining I decided to make a short-sleeved shirtwaister dress. This design is mostly self-drafted with a hack of the collar from a vintage Style pattern 1441 from the 1980’s. I have made up the blouse from this pattern many times and also hacked according to instructions in Threads magazine to do away with the yoke. I drafted the bodice with no darts having decided to model before placing the darts so that they fell in exactly the right place. The sleeves have a smooth cap and I think another time I will increase the sleeve head and add some small gathers. I cut the skirt as two full-width panels and made a centre back seam. I used my favourite in-seam pocket pattern so that the pockets are stitched into the waistline seam and don’t “flap” about inside the skirt. Having quartered the skirt panels I then lined them up with the side seams of the bodice and stitched together. It took quite a bit of “finessing” to get the waist seam to reflect my actual waistline correctly as I have a pronounced sway back. I needed 12 buttons for the button-thru look and should have checked my button stash first! I had only 10 buttons the same so had to add another 2 in the same colour but slightly different! But who will notice? They blend in so well with the floral pattern of the fabric and if anyone does comment I shall just say it is down to “quirkiness” of the dressmaker!
