Smart shirtdress for work

I chose to make this dress in a nice drapey viscose printed fabric. It’s quite a dark fabric and the reverse is quite light. Consequently the cufffs on the sleeves show the reverse of the fabric. My fabric wasn’t a good choice in the sense that pulled threads showed as light lines and it was unforgiving if I needed to unpick, so basically I didn’t unpick! I cut the cuffs off and made the new cuffs deeper. So lesson learned here is: choose a fabric which is similar wrong side and right side!

I am quite an experienced sewer, but I did find this pattern quite challenging. Some of that I blame on my figure: I have a full D cup breast and narrow shoulders and rib cage, so fitted dresses are a challenge. But, it was also challenging because some techniques in the pattern were quite new to me. For example the pleating method, which I like, was new to me. It took me a while to understand that I had to gather the front of the bodice and the back as the front gathers were not mentioned in the written instructions, but was shown in the image. I also think there is a mistake in the illustration showing the cuff on the sleeve on page 27 in terms of wrong side / right sides. See what you think. But on the whole the instructions were very detailed with plenty of illustrations showing most steps.

If I made the dress again I would make the cuffs more narrow and gather or pleat the fabric into the cuff (I have slim wrists) And, possibly, I would have the cuff opening with a button. To me the cuffs stopping abrutly without a pleat or gather and did not suit the style of the rest of the dress.

Now finished, I like the dress and will wear it for smart business events.

I would not rate this pattern as suitable for beginners because it also includes putting in an invisible zip. Here the instructions say “follow the manufacturer’s instructions”, which is a bit of a let down when the instructions are so detailed elsewhere and most zips don’t come with instructions. Be warned the zip goes in last – so make sure your waistband lines up as you are making it!

So I gave it 4 out of 5 stars because I have some niggles.