My friend (and number 1 blog fan) Colleen asked me if I could make her a couple of garments. She has a brand new job on a brand new coast and thus needed some brand new duds to wear for work (and for looking pensive with her pup, Hank):
She told me she wanted a shirtdress. Having recently made the Itch to Stitch Bonn (dress here, blouse here), I thought that might be a good pattern to suit her needs. It's simple but elegant, and can be dressed up or down depending on fabric choice.
Based on her measurements, I chose a size 2B graded to a 4 at the hip, which worked out pretty well! 3/4 sleeves so it could work across seasons.
Colleen wanted the dress in a solid or solid-ish color. I found this nice quality poly crepe and figured in navy it would be the perfect Pacific Northwest neutral. When she came to visit recently, Colleen chose some lovely grey, mother of pearl-ish buttons to go with the navy.
We figured she could elevate this simple dress up with fun scarves, jewelry, belts and shoes, changing the look to suit the situation. Here's she's paired it with boots and tights since many of her accessories are still in storage.
The dress went together quite easily, with the exception of the collar. I always struggle with the collar on this pattern, especially at the center front points, and this time was no exception. They were particularly troublesome in the poly crepe because it doesn't press very well.
I think she likes it! She even wore it on her first day at her new job, which made me feel all warm and fuzzy!
Thanks for sending photos in the wild, Colleen! I have a feeling Hank thought you were taking it a bit too far with the jumping photos, though:
