Finished: Burda 7827 (dress)

After multiple attempts at trying to make Simplicity 8014, I needed a sewing win. I did not want to give up on shirtdresses entirely and searched my pattern stash for alternatives. The first of two that I recently completed is Burda 7827.

The style of this dress isn't the same as Simplicity 8014, but it has details that I like (epaulettes, front flap, separate front band, topstitching) and princess seams to adjust fit.

 

I made view A without the epaulettes and chest pocket. I did not exactly include the belt tabs; more on that later.

Pattern Highlights:

• front and back armscye princess seams
• two-piece raglan sleeves 
• front in-seam pockets with flap
• separate front band
• collar stand and collar 
• right front chest flap
  
• belt tabs & belt
  

Fabric & Notions:

• 3 yards stretch cotton sateen (Mood)
• 11 x 1/2" buttons (Wawak)
• shirt crisp light fusible interfacing (Fashion Sewing Supply)
• 1.5" black leather belt buckle (Wawak) 
• 80/12 universal needle
• regular sewing and serger thread
• scraps of tear-away stabilizer for sewing buttonholes
  

 

Sizing & Alterations:  Because I love the fit of my TNT button-front shirt pattern, I used its bodice measurements to determine the size to cut for the dress. I took flat pattern measurements of the shirt pattern and of dress size 44 at the fullest part of the bodice front and back pattern pieces. 

 

 

 

Since the measurements were very close, I felt comfortable cutting right into the fabric without making a muslin.

The pattern pieces looked a little long and I waffled back and forth on whether I should shorten them. Ultimately, I decided not to shorten. Instead, I lopped 1" from the bottom and sewed a 2" hem. When I make this again, I will shorten it appropriately.

General Construction Notes:  Nothing new here. Sewing was very straightforward and the instructions were not complicated. I sewed all the seams on my machine, serged the raw edges together, pressed to one side, and added a single line of topstitching.

I used Shirt Crisp (light) fusible interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply. I cannot recommend this interfacing enough for its reliability and structure. It's expensive, but very well worth it.

 

 

To sew the collar / collar-stand unit, I always use Kathy Brenne's "Build a Better Stand" tutorial. Her method makes the most sense to me and produces consistent results every time. I also take time to carefully mark all of the stitching lines and hand-baste the stand before topstitching. Even though this takes a bit more time and effort, I am rarely disappointed with the finish. On a future shirt project, I'll carefully document and share the process here.

 

I struggled making the belt tabs. The tabs are like Norman windows:  a rectangle surmounted by a semicircle. Even after careful marking, stitching and clipping, I couldn't quite get the semicircular ends to be uniform. So I used plain old rectangles with the same dimensions.

In the end, I removed the belt loops because they were seated far too high on my waist. I might reattach them later, though I can still wear the dress without them.

Buttons are a mottled brown from Wawak. I was going to use black buttons, but I like the color variation in these much better.

The fabric is stretch cotton sateen (SCS) from Mood. Y'all. Mood and their stretch cotton sateens have a choke-hold on my wallet. The weight is hefty enough to not need a lining, but fluid enough to have decent drape; they're great for dresses and button-front shirts. I've made six garments already this year from this type of fabric and just cut out a seventh!

Conclusion:  I think this is a great pattern and I intend to make at least one or two more versions. The pattern envelope shows a color-blocked version (solid front/back bodice, different color for band, collar, epaulettes, pocket flaps). I'm intrigued by this and might give it a go.

Dude Review:  "Looks good." The man is not a talker of fashion. 😁

I'm still on the hunt for a pattern similar to Simplicity 8014. The next dress I made is kind of close, but still lacks the skirt flare that I want. I'll review that one soon.

L