The Hundred Dresses: Day 6

Six days! Woot! (Which made me go search out this half-remembered novel, which I think now I will have to re-read.)

I had high hopes for this pattern:

Butterick 9542

 

It just seemed so … head of the PTA, if you know what I mean. No-nonsense yet somehow soft.

This is what it turned out like:

gray Butterick 9542 front view

It might have been my fabric choice … this is a little less “head of the PTA” and a little more “candy striper in the depression ward.” The fabric is nicer closer up:

 
gray Butterick 9542 bodice view
 
I even made covered buttons!

gray Butterick 9542 covered buttons view

And because I knew I couldn’t get the pockets to match stripes perfectly, I tried a little embroidered distraction:

gray Butterick 9542 pocket distraction view

And I carefully put in a waist hook, a detail I usually gloss over by promising myself that I’ll just wear a belt:

gray Butterick 9542 waist hook view

Here’s the back view:

gray Butterick 9542 back view

And a closeup of the back collar, which I’m not happy with — I didn’t turn & press it quite right:

Gray Butterick 9542, back collar view

Even with the slightly institutional air and the wonky collar, I would probably wear this a bit more often if the skirt were a bit fuller. It looked plenty full in the illustration, but it’s just narrow enough that I think I’m going to tear that front placket fold if I wear it riding my bike, and when I sit down it pulls, too (not fun).

So the search for the perfect shirtdress continues …

7 thoughts on “The Hundred Dresses: Day 6

  1. I’m really not sure that the German language predates the Silurians. you’ll have to convince me.

    candy striper in a depression ward! love it.

    that skirt is false advertising, you should report somebody to somewhere for somewhat.

    I think the high contrast and varying width of the stripes renders this after image inducing, but I do like grey.

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  2. Yes, the skirt does look more full on the pattern. I do like the collar, maybe try again with a solid color and fuller skirt from a different pattern?? I think it still has possibilities!! šŸ™‚

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  3. I like that gray stripe fabric, but maybe for a different application. This one’s not my favorite. šŸ™‚ It’s a completely different silhouette from the front of the envelope, agreed. Great job on those buttons, though!

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  4. Nuts- I have a bunch of vintage patterns i’d like to make up, but I know they’ll never look quite as wonderful as those lying liar illustrations! That being said, i’m a sucker for stripes and this would be super cute with a bright yellow belt to escape the asylum…

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  5. I’m really really enjoying this series and this renewed burst of posting! Looking forward to the rest of them. šŸ™‚ This one looks like it’s probably quite nice on though (I do like the modelling pics!). How odd that the skirt isn’t fuller when it’s certainly drawn that way.

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  6. The original pattern came from the Fifties, I think, and they would have been wearing stiff peticoats under the skirt to give it the appearance that it has in the pattern cover.

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  7. Yes – I agree with Rosina! I was going to say that the skirt just needs a crinoline underneath.
    The pattern illustration makes it look like there’s a self belt, not just a waist seam. That’s misleading!

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