With lots of businesses arranging for people to work from home, there is a distinct lack of smart work wear available to buy lately. I still need it though! (Key worker, front line services, need to look professional). Luckily enough, I can make what I need! Suiting fabric like this poly viscose blend are perfect because they have a good weight to them, don't crease easily and don't need a lot of looking after. I had considered tailored trousers but felt that a dress would be more comfortable in the long run.
Fabric
The fabric is a soft grey which leans towards brown, making it a flattering shade to wear against the skin. Sometimes I find greys can wash you out and was glad to find that this wasn't the case with this one. The value is also very good (usually £9.99 per metre, but brilliantly reduced to £3.99 whilst I was making this). It cuts, sews and presses well, which makes the project easier and more enjoyable to make. 2 metres of the fabric was gifted by Minerva as part of their Maker's network (link here to the fabric) and I had enough left over for a skirt too.
The sleeves themselves were made out of a polyester crepe from my remnants box (just enough for a pair of sleeves) as the suiting fabric was too thick for what I had in mind. I have cut out a pair of short sleeves, as per the pattern, in the suiting fabric though, in case I find that the long ones don't work out. This fabric is a little more unusual and though it drapes nicely, (and doesn't crease easily) it also can be quite stiff. Turning out the rouleau loops for the cuffs took an hour, even with a turner! I used buttons from my stash in a contrasting colour to match the body of the dress instead of the sleeves and think they turned out well in the end.
Pattern and Instructions
I used the Megan Dress pattern from Tilly and the Buttons' first book, Love at First Stitch. I've found it to be a comfortable dress to wear before, easy to make and fancied being able to whip up a dress that doesn't require lots of fitting. As this dress is loose around the waist and hips, it's only the neckline and bust that require attention. The instructions are very clear and as it's featured in this book, there are additional help guides for each part of the dress, with photos and extra explanations. It's intended as part of a beginner's experience and therefore is enjoyable to sew!
The pattern comes with short sleeves, but I find longer ones more preferable at this time of year so made small adaptations. I used the sleeve pattern that comes with the Megan dress to make sure it matched up with the armhole of the dress. I used the Sew Over It Pussy Bow Blouse sleeve for the rest though as it's a tried and true one that I've used a lot before. It's not quick, but the instructions for this have good diagrams and it is easy enough to follow. I pleated instead of gathering at the cuff to match the sleeve head.
When I made the dress before I had to adapt the sleeve head to suit my style (more info here) so I used the same adaptations in this dress, which turned out quite well. The original head is a little too puffy for me so I reduced it down as well (about 1.5cm). Before, I added in darts tot he back neckline to reduce gaping. I didn't need to do it again this time, but if I could make this dress over I would reduce the shoulders, which do stand a little proud.
Overall, this dress is doing exactly what I need it to, as well as having been an enjoyable project. it took me about 2 days in all, but I wasn't rushing and spending an hour turning out rouleau loops will add time!
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