Shirtdress

Sewing Level:  Easy

I'm not sure this project was entirely successful.  My goal was to create an interesting shirt dress.  I absolutely loved the style when it was tested in muslin.

To be efficient I cut two dresses:  the first in red cotton oxford cloth.





























The second in white cotton broadcloth with red pinstripes, the skirt overlaid with sheer red lace.


 





























The workmanship is fine and I like the clean lines of the dress fronts for day wear.  It's the backs with the rows of gathers that I am uncomfortable with.  The long hem is good but the gathered panels seem overly fussy or feminine. 

I wish I had overlaid the side back panels with red lace. 

The fronts have nice details such as hidden buttonholes with embroidery to hold the front bands in place.

I guess the lesson is that not all garments will be successful, even when you follow an orderly process to test the design, fabric, and color choices. 

Maybe rolling up the sleeves and pairing the dresses with cute summer shoes will help.