Sunday, February 23, 2014

Buffalo Check Shirtdress

You guys, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I CONQUERED PLAID. Okay, okay, it's a buffalo check, which isn't quite as complicated as an unbalanced plaid, but whatevs. I agonized for hours over matching the plaid as I cut it out in a single layer, so this definitely, definitely counts.


If it's not clear already, I'm so, so happy with this dress. It really fits my style - a little tomboy but still feminine, nothing fussy or twee or overly trendy. And the finished product 100% matched the vision in my head.

I picked up the last of this bolt of buffalo check flannel for a song at my local fabric store, Gail K. Fabrics (highly recommended, if you're in the Atlanta area), with a shirtdress in mind. I figured if the plaid matching  went terribly wrong at least I hadn't invested much. But, if you'll forgive me for bragging, I showed this plaid who is boss. And I in no way cheated by using a gathered skirt and bias-cut placket. Those were, um, strictly aesthetic design choices. Yeah.



This is View C of Simplicity 2246, with the sleeves and pocket from View A. I made View A, the Lisette Traveler Dress a few months ago, and while I still adore that dress, I figured the more masculine flannel needed a more fitted silhouette.


I cut a size 10 in the top half, but the waist was a little tight so I let it back out by 1/2" on each side. I think I was too generous, as it's a little loose now and you can see there's some bunching around the waist in the back. I was hoping the back bodice darts would fix the fabric pooling issue I always seem to have in the small of my back, but not quite. One of these days I'll figure it out - maybe I need a swayback adjustment? For now I'll just pretend it's not there and enjoy how supremely comfortable the dress is.


I didn't want the skirt to be as voluminous as the pattern drawing, so I cut a size 6 in the skirt and trimmed down the side of the front pattern piece so it wouldn't have such a dramatic A-line. I used the skirt front from my Lisette Passport Dress (now sadly out of print) as a guide.

I think this may be a new TNT, because I didn't do many alterations. Like the other view, I did a SBA and added 1/2" to the sleeve and back piece to accommodate my broad shoulders and avoid the straightjacket feeling. This go around, I also lengthened the bodice by 1" and took the skirt up by about 4". The skirt is drafted crazy long. Like, perfect for a modest giantess.


My only complaint is, once again, the collar. It's a single piece instead of two, and as a result it tends to be floppy. One of my new goals is to learn to sew a beautiful shirt collar with perfectly pointy lapels - I had a hell of a time getting this collar to look half-way decent, and there are definitely things I wish I could change. I shudder to think of how janky this thing would be without my beloved edgestitching foot. Don't look too closely...except here's a close-up, because we're all friends here.


So it's a flannel buffalo check shirtdress, just in time for...um, spring? I made this dress during not one, but two snowstorms (a rarity in Atlanta), and now, just as I finish, it's a beautiful, sunny 60 degrees. Ah, well. I've been dreaming of sundresses for weeks, and now I have every excuse to sew one up!

9 comments:

  1. This is such a great dress! I love your fabric choice too! I have this pattern in my stash and can't wait to use it soon!

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    1. Thanks! I definitely recommend the pattern - it's a little bit older and forgotten, but it's a gem.

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  2. Love the grunge feel of the fabric paired with a feminine silhouette. Thumbs up!

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    1. Haha, thank you! I will take a thumbs up any day. :)

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  3. I love this! Shirtdresses are a favorite style of mine and the flannel is perfect for the cold weather. Please send that 60 degree weather this way...the warmest it's been this week is 20 degrees. :) Great job matching the plaid too - I'm still afraid to try!

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    1. It's been such a miserable winter, I can't complain about an early spring! I hope it warms up for you soon. And if you want to give plaid a try, I'd definitely recommend buffalo check or gingham or some other small-scale plaid. It's a little more complicated than matching stripes, but doable. I think my head would have exploded if I had picked a more complex plaid for my first go.

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  4. What a great dress. Beautiful job. :)

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  5. I love this. I love everything about this. It looks beautiful and well-made! If it was mine I would spend all my time posing artistically on hayrides and planning picnics with a masculine edge (I don't even know what that would look like, but I would move heaven and earth to do it).

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