Spring shirtdress

Spring has finally arrived in Georgia!  Ahh, spring... buds blooming, trees covered in flowers, perpetual rain, warming trends, pollen, and giant mutant bees.  I don't exactly love springtime, but I have an asthmatic daughter and a fear of flying and buzzing insects. Winter means all those things go away, so I have to re-tune my cat-like reflexes to avoid bugs every year.  I'm not sad to see the cold weather and dreary skies go away, however. In addition to the drive to purge and minimize this time of year, I am also driven to make things... colorful, light, and airy things.  I've started sewing up a storm over here, and today I have a lovely spring dress to share.  I wanted to give a shirt dress another try, but not the old maid uniform, so I searched the pattern books and blogosphere for a better pattern.  I settled on McCalls 6696.

 This pattern is great for several reasons.  It includes a retro-feeling full skirt, and a more modern slim skirt option.  It has a slip included.  It was better than my previous attempt at a shirt dress because it did not use facings, the back yoke and gathered back bodice made for an easier fit, and the waistband and front placket made for a cleaner look.  I really loved this pattern.  It was super simple, fit well, and has great options.  As usual, I did a small full bust adjustment on the D-sized bodice, and a full bicep adjustment on the sleeve.

I'm a huge fan of Gertie.  She makes great patterns and books, and now a fantastic line of fabric.  The best part about this line is that it is available at Joann's!  Check it out!  I tell you this because I made my spring shirt dress from a fabric in this line.  Its a white swiss dot with red roses... I can't even...

I received SO MANY compliments and comments on this dress.  Friends, co-workers, the woman stocking shelves at Publix, older ladies behind me in line at Ulta... seriously.  Sometimes when you go walking around town dressed in a 50's house dress, you don't necessarily expect unanimously positive feedback.  Maybe, you think, an older woman may find your look endearing and nostalgic. I quite enjoy dancing around the line between costume and quirky style... but it felt very flattering to be noticed yesterday for a dress that I already knew I loved!

 Here's a back view.  The second photo shows that awesome back yoke with a gathered bodice, as well as a detail of the texture of this fabric.  It is very light, and somewhat sheer.  I bought a legit grandma slip to wear underneath.  I don't feel weird about it at all.

Here's a detail of the collar and front button placket.  This pattern provided such nice finish.  I want to make a million of these!

I hope the rest of you normal spring-loving people are enjoying the weather, and brightening up your wardrobes!  I will be dressing like a flower and avoiding pollen.  Happy spring!