Burda Style For people who sew
Description
This is the shirtwaist dress project, round two. I actually started this project before Christmas, with the aim of replacing a shirtdress I already had that I liked the idea of, but didn’t really love. I’m a big fan of shirtdresses but good ones are hard to find – the one I had was made in a thin, flimsy cotton that was usually a wrinkled mess before I even left the house, and the skirt was much shorter than I preferred, so I have been thinking about making a new one for a while. After a disastrous attempt at Simplicity’s 3039 (from 1959) (don’t ask!), I decided the easiest thing would be to make my own pattern for it, so this dress is partly based on an old dress I had (the shirt part) with a full, knife-pleated skirt.
I really like the pattern and think this has the potential to be the shirtdress, but this cotton fabric is still not quite perfect. The weight and drape is right, but it’s still a little too wrinkle-prone and dust-attracting. So the project continues, when I find the right fabric I will make up a version #3!
Any suggestions for fabrics suitable for a shirtdress? :)
http://tippiella.com/2012/03/second-chances-shirtwaist-dress/
Difficulty
Intermediate
Categories
16 Comments Sign in to add a post
Featured
-
BurdaStyle Project of the Week
X-Ray Open Back Dress
Meg made this edgy variation of the Open Back Dress!
-
Pattern of the Week
Asymmetric Jacket
This fitted jacket will keep you warm and stylish on those cool summer nights!
-
Retro Pattern
Blouse and Pant Suit
Dive back into 1956 with this stylish two in one pant suit pattern!
-
Member Project of the Week
Strapless Bustier Dress
Get inspired by printed floral bustier dress with flounce! It is so summery.
-
Editors' Pick
Surfer Girl: 10 New Sewing Patterns
The style is cool and sporty beach wear that can be worn anywhere!
BurdaStyle - Footer
BurdaStyle is a DIY fashion and sewing community. Our aim is to bring the craft of sewing to a new generation of fashion designers, hobbyists, DIY'ers, and inspire fashion enthusiasts. We offer downloadable PDF sewing patterns, project ideas, tutorials and a community passionate about fashion. Press coverage on BurdaStyle can be found here.
Website Help
About BurdaStyle
© 2013 BurdaStyle. Inc. All rights reserved. Site by AREA 17
Apr 1, 2012, 07.38 AMby JacquiLouise
This is a great dress – you have done a wonderful job! Love your style.
Mar 17, 2012, 08.37 AMby ladyjm
So classy :) I’m in loooove :)
1 Reply
Mar 17, 2012, 03.24 PMby tippiella
:))
Mar 16, 2012, 11.21 AMby nikkishell
Viscose comes in many weights and textures though, maybe you just didn’t have the right one.
1 Reply
Mar 17, 2012, 03.23 PMby tippiella
Ahh, yes that’s probably true.
Mar 14, 2012, 02.51 AMby clareh
Looks good! Thanks for the in depth analysis. It’s always great to hear from other sewist’s experiences!
1 Reply
Mar 14, 2012, 07.12 PMby tippiella
Thank you! :)
Mar 12, 2012, 04.13 AMby nikkishell
This si a great shirtdress! How about viscose? The creasing is minimal. Wool crepe would be nice too.
1 Reply
Mar 14, 2012, 07.11 PMby tippiella
Hmm, not sure about viscose – I used that on the Simplicity 3039 shirtdress that I failed miserably with and found it was a bit too slippery and not structured enough for a shirtdress, at least not the look I was going for.
Wool crepe however… :)
Mar 9, 2012, 08.21 PMby zranitelna
It might not be the perfect shirt dress (YET!) but it looks definitely perfect on the pictures :) Nice silhouette.
1 Reply
Mar 11, 2012, 08.37 AMby tippiella
Thank you! :)
Mar 8, 2012, 10.10 PMby merche
Lovely dress! It looks great as it is. There is a fabric, cotton satin ( I´m translating from spanish, maybe the term is different) that I think would look good.
1 Reply
Mar 9, 2012, 08.30 AMby tippiella
Thank you! Yes, someone else here also recommended cotton sateen so I am going to look for that! :)
Mar 8, 2012, 09.29 PMby jacquipardue
great design! I have a black shirt dress that I think is a cotton blend. I love it but it does wrinkle a bit. Yours is very pretty!
1 Reply
Mar 9, 2012, 08.29 AMby tippiella
Thank you! :)
Mar 8, 2012, 06.01 PMby tirrs
very lovely!
1 Reply
Mar 8, 2012, 09.20 PMby tippiella
Thank you!
Mar 8, 2012, 01.19 PMby scuffsan
I agree that a good shirt dress is hard to find. Yours is perfect! I love the skirt, the pleats are lovely and it’s just the right length. Great job!
1 Reply
Mar 8, 2012, 09.20 PMby tippiella
Thank you so much! :)
Mar 8, 2012, 10.06 AMby Ri-Twenty
The dress is lovely, and suits you perfeclty…
1 Reply
Mar 8, 2012, 10.31 AMby tippiella
Thank you! :)
Mar 8, 2012, 09.27 AMby freakusbzzz
Looks fab to me, how about cotton sateen,. It’s my new favourite fabirc.
2 Replies
Mar 8, 2012, 10.31 AMby tippiella
Thank you for that suggestion, I actually think cotton sateen might be a perfect option! :)
Mar 8, 2012, 04.31 PMby kelepso
I agree. Cotton sateen might be a good option. It’s one of my favorite fabrics too.
Mar 8, 2012, 07.22 AMby Anniemollison
Really cute.
1 Reply
Mar 8, 2012, 08.47 AMby tippiella
Thank you! :)
Mar 8, 2012, 06.42 AMby mixtlii
I love it! I’ve been willing to make a shirtdress for a while, but my machine doesn’t make buttonholes automatically, so I avoid buttonholes… For summer, I guess you could use shirting fabric (right!), poplin… I don’t know many names of fabrics in english sorry!
1 Reply
Mar 8, 2012, 08.47 AMby tippiella
I have been avoiding buttonholes too, for the same reason! It turns out my mother’s sewing machine has an automatic buttonhole-maker so I borrowed hers and it took all of five minutes to make a whole row. I am so jealous of that machine! ;)
Mar 7, 2012, 10.07 PMby Jolands
Very Beautiful!!
1 Reply
Mar 8, 2012, 08.44 AMby tippiella
Thank you! :)
Mar 7, 2012, 09.05 PMby kihli
Your shirt dress looks perfect to me! I am planning to make a very similar one with long sleeves, for which the old guy in my favorite fabric store recommended a sort of crepe satin, made of a lightweight wool synthetic blend. Maybe that would be an option?
1 Reply
Mar 8, 2012, 08.44 AMby tippiella
Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll see what I can find in my local fabric store. :)