Finished: Burda 5-2006-119

This is the second of two shirtdress patterns that I tried recently in an effort to recover from the disappointment of Simplicity 8014.

 

 

Although this style of dress isn't the same as Simplicity 8014, it does have some similar features:  front-back yoke with forward shoulder seam and short sleeves with turn-up cuff. Bust shaping on the Simplicity pattern is done through darts and pleats whilst the Burda pattern has front shoulder princess seams and a center back seam. In this pattern, the front band is cut on and there is no waist seam.

 

I made view 119 with the shorter length of view 120 and without any pockets or the front self-fabric strap things.

 

 

Unless you look carefully at the photo, it's not immediately clear that there are separate pieces to cover the princess seam. I certainly didn't realize it until I reviewed the cutting diagram and read the instructions. Small sections are sewn to create the belt loops and in-seam pocket facings...or something (Burda instructions are famously terse). It's a neat design and I think it looks good on the modeled version. I didn't have the patience to put up with what I thought would be annoying to sew, so I didn't include it.

Fabric & Notions:

• 3 yards of stretch cotton sateen (Mood...y'all I need an intervention.)
• 9 x 5/8" metal shank buttons 
• shirt crisp light fusible interfacing (Fashion Sewing Supply)
• 1.5" gold metal belt buckle (Tandy Leather) 
• 4 x 4mm gold grommets
• strip of black vinyl fabric for belt 
  
• 80/12 universal needle
• regular sewing and serger thread
• scraps of tear-away stabilizer for sewing buttonholes
  

Sizing & Alterations:  I took flat pattern measurements of size 44 and compared them to my beloved TNT Burda shirt pattern.

 

 

It's an inch bigger across the bust, but that's alright. I cut right into the fabric and sewed 5/8" seam allowances. I didn't add a hem allowance and shortened the length 1 inch. For the hem, I folded and pressed 1 inch twice and topstitched.

General Construction Notes:  The fabric is a lovely stretch cotton sateen from Mood (link). Mood runs sales often, so it helps with the cost. The dark blue is not as dark as in the image, but still a nice rich color.

 

All seams were sewn on my machine, serged together, pressed to one side, and topstitched. I cut two yoke pieces and used the Burrito Method for a clean inside finish.

I wanted to look of the sleeves from Simplicity 8014 so I lengthened this sleeve pattern by 2 inches so that I could sew the folded tuck. I don't have a good photo of the sleeve.

 

My belt is a bit too long and could use another grommet - easy fixes for next time. I need to add belt loops to the dress and/or a loop in which to slide the end of the belt. As it is, it isn't secure.

Conclusion:  This is a good pattern and I can see making many more versions. I have a third pattern with more skirt flare to try next.

Other thoughts:  I wore the Simplicity 8014 dress yesterday and...well...let's just say I got one wear out of it this year. Although I really like how it looked, I didn't like how the waist area fit or constantly having to fiddle with it. 

This dress kicked off a mini nautical-themed wardrobe I am sewing for fall. The colors are white, yellow/gold, blue, and red. So far, I've sewn four total items (dress and three shirts) and have cut out two more shirts. I intend to make a couple of skirts, vest, and some pants to go along with all the tops. More on that soon!

L

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