Shirtdress mashup: Burdastyle 05/2004 #129 and 07/2004 #135

Mashing up patterns? What could possibly go wrong?

Luckily for me, this turned out much better than expected!

The patterns:

Burdastyle 05/2004 #129 (below left) and 07/2004 #135 (below right). The links go to and the images are reproduced from the Russian Burdastyle site because they’re from so long ago that’s the only one that still lists them

I’ve always liked #129, the green one, but never got around to sewing it. Until now. Nineteen years later.

I’m not in this size range anymore. But that didn’t stop me. I’ve already made #135, the red one, in my size (46 bust 48 hips) so I mashed them up.

My starting pattern had a bust dart so I rotated that to the yoke seam and then converted it into gathering. That was the easy it of the mash up!

I marked up the panels on my front dress pattern piece and then drafted new pieces with extra width at the top for the gathering, using the 05/2004 #129 pieces as a guide.

You can see from the pattern pieces that the gathering isn’t additive – the top of the piece is gathered in but the bottom of the piece is back to what would be the regular width of the base pattern. I replicated this on my pattern pieces. The gathering is modest – about 1.2 times the width of the straight piece it’s sewn onto.

I lined the yoke with white batiste. When my fabric is doubled up, the black shows through the other colours a bit and dulls them down. The white makes them pop.

The gathered and then restrained-back-in panels give the dress a cocoon shape feel – which is a silhouette I love.

Grey hair don’t care

I added pockets – because pockets are always a good idea – and used white batiste for the pocket pieces facing the outer fabric. For the same reason.

Smug sewist because she added pockets

I used the pockets drafted for the Cloud dress. They’re fabulously large.

The lovely fabric I used is a Japanese woven cotton from The Fabric Store. Wonderful to sew and gorgeous to wear.

Such a happy dress!

Pink linen shirt dress: Burda 07/2004 #135

I’ve really gone back to the archives of my Burda magazine collection for this one. Moving up into the Plus size range will do that to you!

This pattern is so old that the only Burda website that has it is the Russian one: : https://burdastyle.ru/vikroyki/platya/plate-burda-2004-7-136/

I’d learnt from my mistakes about sizing and this time I traced a size 46 with a 2 cm petite adjustment above the bust and out to size 48 hips. I omitted the band on the sleeves and went for the shorter length of style #136.

This dress is wonderfully comfortable to wear. Being made from lovely linen helps.

This is a very beautiful cross dye linen from Emmaonesock in hot pink fibers in the warp and sand in the weft. It has gorgeous sheen IRL and an overall salmon pink colour when you’re not looking at it up close.

I purchased it in 2018 so this particular fabric isn’t available anymore but it looks like other similar cross dye linens are still on the site. Yes I am tempted. No I haven’t succumbed. Yet. Also, I’m not affiliated in any way, just a very satisfied customer.

I wondered about the smallish hip level patch pockets. Would they look like they’d slid down from the bust? Would they add too much of a lab coat vibe? The verdict? – they are just fine.

And all those wrinkles? It’s linen. I’m embracing the wrinkles. These photos were taken after the dress had been worn for most of the day, but it did look almost this wrinkly within about 10 minutes…

I used ‘rescue buttons’ from a shirt of Chris’s that would have otherwise ended up in landfill, and thread leftover from a previous project. I love it when I have everything I need for a project already in the stash.

I didn’t interface the button band, and I folded it to the right side rather than the wrong side. There really is no wrong side to this fabric, and I liked the faux sewn on band effect this gave me.

I love this dress! Beautiful fabric is key. Did I say that already?!

Is it still Summer? Another Kalle Shirt dress

The equinox has been and gone but it still feels like summer. Highs of over 30oC. No wonder I’m still sewing for warm weather!

Yes another Kalle shirt dress. This time in tencel. I love this pattern. This is the fourth time I’ve used it. And I’m not tired of it yet.

Some of the features of this version

Length

I added an extra 10 cm because I knew I’d be more comfortable, especially wearing it with a belt. Here shown with a simple self fabric tie.

Collar

I finally made a version with a collar! I removed 10 mm in height for both the stand and the collar because it looked a bit big to me and I don’t have swan-like neck.

Yes I did match my inner yoke to the soft furnishings. Yes I do love William Morris designs. Just in case you were wondering.

The collar turned out lovely, but probably would also be fine as drafted.

I was lazy and didn’t draft a separate undercollar –  just took a few mm off the second collar piece after cutting it out.

Pockets

This version has both a breast pocket and in seam pockets

The inseam ones are from Tessuti Patterns Bella dress and my topstitching shows up their clever design.

Back Vent

I sewed the vent back together again at the waist to help control the fullness when belted, but it looks good without the belt too

Here’s some with and without belt images to show you what I mean.

Topstiching

Navy and yellow make me happy.

I topstitched almost everything I could, including the side seams.

You can also see that I didn’t use self bias bindng for the hem.

I sewed this dress at a sewing weekend with M of NonSuch, and this was her gift to my dress.

Sewing weekends and sewing friends are the best!

This weekends project is a struggle with Tessuti Fabrics sewing competition fabric.

It’s not all going smoothly…

Bella and Kalle in pink linen for summer

Cool loose-fitting linen dresses are a must for summer holidays.

Bella and Kalle provided just the right styles and my local Spotlight had a good selection of linens to pick from. All I needed to add was a sewing machine and some time!

Pink floral Bella

The linen was a little see through so I lined with cotton batiste.

Not strictly necessary, but it does make the colours pop, and there are no awkward underwear show though moments.

Such a lovely loose style that the lining has no impact on its comfort in hot weather. It might even ‘improve’ it by making it more tent like?!

I shortened the sleeves, slashed them and added ties. Sort of like a full bicep adjustment, but with a style outcome.

Flamingo Kalle

This is such a satisfying pattern to make. Last time I made the crop top, lengthened, with the stand collar. This time it was the shirt dress, at the length as drafted, again with the stand collar.

So many satisfying details.

I added pockets. The same lovely ones that are included in the Bella dress pattern. Because. Pockets.

I used pale pink pre-made bias binding rather than self-fabric bias on the hem because I didn’t have quite enough fabric.

Why pale pink when the flamingos were white and so were the buttons?

Availability –  within 2 metres of sewing machine. Funny – I would never have selected this ahead of white, but I think it works better than white would have, on the finished garment. I have so much still to learn!

But one thing I have already learned is that this is an awesome pattern.

Wattle shirt-dress: Burdastyle 06/2013 #103 pattern hack

Going to a fabric store with Felicity means discouraging the purchase of multiple lengths of novelty fabric. She still manages to get a least one every trip.

Last time it was quilting cotton with a wattle print.

While I moan and groan theatrically at the time, her fabric choices usually turn out okay.

This dress was based on a Burdastyle shirt dress 06/2013 #103 that I’ve used for Felicity before.

After making the normal full bust adjustment, I cut the bodice pattern pieces off at the waist.

The skirt back was a rectangle cut the width of the fabric (112cm).

I used the original pattern to curve up from the hip. I did the same for the two fronts, and cut the facing separate.

I added tucks by eye somewhat haphazardly, with about 2 to 3 cm in each tuck.

The tucks stopped about 10 cm from the side seams, so the dress was smooth under the pockets, and a few cm from the center front so the button band was flat.

The pockets are a great shape, which I highlighted with yellow silk bias trim.

And because I could, I finished the neckline with yellow bias too!

Cute buttons

Cute dress!

Non flattery 101: How to look older and fatter than I am

Small floral patterns, A-line knee length skirts, and buttons or zips over my stomach.

All things I generally avoid in garments for me.

I’ve learnt they are not usually flattering.

So what possessed me to combine all three of these elements into one garment?

Perhaps the fun of adding contrasting sleeve cuffs, button bands, undercollars and collar stands?

To further increase the nanna factor, the sleeves are elbow length, just like my daughters school uniform (last updated in the 40’s). Sensible shoes and a hat help with the nannification too.

Despite this, it has been a comfortable dress to wear all day at the Adelaide Zoo. We have Pandas, woohoo!

Technical details

Pattern: Burdastyle 04-2011-106

Size:

36 to 44. I made a 42, grading out to a 44 at the hips.

Fabric:

The small floral is a cotton from Spotlight. This is a chain store also know as BAL (break a leg), due to the untidiness of some of its stores, and is often only useful for notions. Sounds like Joann’s in the States might be similar. I’ve been surprised by the betterquality of some of the fabrics recently. This one tempted me, successfully.

The stripe is a stretch cotton that has been in my stash for a very long time. I love these colours.

Changes I made:

I only added one breast pocket, didn’t add the epaulettes and didn’t make the waist darts on the outside.

I used a contrasting stripe fabric for the left button band, the inner yoke, the inner stand collar, the under collar and added a contrasting band to the top of the pocket and as ‘cuffs’ to the sleeves (as 10 cm facings to the bottom of the sleeve, then turned the sleeve up so half the facing showed).

I added two extra buttonholes to the front band (and only one extra button until I have time to get back to the Button Bar for the last one!).

I couldn’t decide on lime green or kelly green for the buttons. So I compromised. Kelly green buttons sewn on with lime green thread. Buttonholes and top stitching on the inner right front band in peacock blue on the top and lime green underneath.

I added 5 cm to the length (the usual for me).

I used self fabric as interfacing, as inspired by David Coffin. I really like the soft but firm finish this gives.

Would I make it again?

Probably not. Certainly not with elbow length sleeves nor in a small floral. This is a great shirt pattern though (model 105 is based on the same top, without the waist darts), and the fit is good for me. I’ll use the pattern again for regular shirts, just not shirt dresses!

What should I have used that small floral for (apart from little girls dresses)?

A simple shell top- Collette’s Sorbetto would be perfect. I might even have enough fabric leftover…