Shirt Dress

I bought this book on my recent trip to San Francisco.

(ISBN 978-4-579-11121-3)

I'm a little disturbed that the sizes are in English - 5/6 for example instead of 120.  Could I have purchased an English book translated into Japanese?  I don't think so, but boy would that ever be stupid.

Anyway, I was excited to make the cute shirt dress pattern from it.  The contrasting placket fabric really appealed to me.  I agonized over what fabric in my stash would work best.  I have a seersucker stripe that really just screams Oxford-style, but in the end, I decided to use the ice-blue Kaffe Fasset shot cotton from my stack of stash fabrics that I'm working through.  I couldn't find just the right contrast fabric for the seersucker, but I had just enough leftover from another project that I thought went with the blue.

I didn't really think the yard that I had would be enough, but I ironed it then arranged and rearranged and shortened the pattern pieces until I could make most of them fit.  I didn't have enough for the pockets or the belt which I think would have given the whole thing a more finished look.  As it is now, I think it just looks like she's wearing one of her big brother's shirts - which I suppose is part of the appeal of a shirt dress - for a kid anyway.

I think it's cute, and it was really fun to figure out how to make the Oxford-shirt style collar, but I'm counting this one as more of a muslin really.  Next time, I'll get some real shirting fabric with some coordinating trim fabric that I won't have to piece together.

I hate to think that KCWC is almost over.  My older daughter and I just got back from watching one of my co-workers dance recitals.  It was really cool.  Tomorrow, we're going to another feis, so it's turning into a dance weekend all around.  I don't think I'll be able to sew much tomorrow, but maybe, just maybe one more thing . . . 

(And I did finish one more shirt today to share soon.)

Comments

[Trinh]

this is just adorable

[Jacqueline Jones-Blacker]

As I said in an earlier post.... you are amazing and a children's clothing goddess! Perhaps sometime in the future you could teach a weekend workshop on sewing with Japanese patterns. Hhmmmm... I thinking a weekend in Maine at Alewives would be perfect, perhaps I should make a mention of it to Rhea!

Nice job... and beautiful model!
j

[Katie]

Thanks, Jackie! Your comments always make my day. I hardly think of myself as an expert, but I would be totally into sharing what I know at Alewives. Ill mention it to Rhea, too.

[Katie]

Thanks, Trinh!