/the bossy dress shirt

7.25.2014

Motivated by Morgan and Sally's awesome exchange last month, Katie (of What Katie Sews) and I decided to initiate our own installation of the Sew Bossy Initiative (Originated by Heather and Oona). I'm pretty impressed with how fast we were able to get this together, considering we're all the way across the globe from each other!

We exchanged a couple likes and dislikes, and both agreed on picking projects that would be good for the summer weather. Gotta take advantage of that ever-reclusive sun!

I was super excited to open my package and find:
1) Amazing handwoven nubby eco-friendly cotton from India.
Easy care fabric with great texture? YES PLEASE.
2) The Merchant & Mills Dress Shirt pattern(!!!)
3) The most adorable embroidery scissors in a super cute Liberty print holder. I am such a scissor fiend (but aren't all sewers?)
It really doesn't get any more British than this, folks. Katie sure knows how to pick 'em.


We've been having great weather, so I kept on putting off "officially" photographing this dress until the last minute (of course) and now it's POURING outside (of course) so all I'm left with are a couple super golden sun-drenched sunset phone photos from a wedding I went to a couple weeks ago.
Side note: Someone at the wedding said I looked like a "grown-up Madeline", which is basically the best outfit comment I've ever received. That mischievous redhead was always a kindred spirit.


Here. It's much easier to just have the dress form model. 


This pattern was really enjoyable to put together; not so boring you'll fall asleep, but not difficult at all. While cutting, I decided what was so great about this fabric. It's striped, but you DON'T HAVE TO MATCH THE STRIPES! I felt like such a cheater playing with the stripe direction to my heart's content and only worrying about being on grain! The front yoke panels ended up cut on the bias and the back yoke perpendicular to the main body. This dress has really nice details and just the right amount of them; I love the oversized bib and feel like the pleat below it is really lengthening.
I contemplated shortening the hem quite a bit, but decided to try it out in the original midi-length just to see what it would look like on me. Turns out, I love the length and the shirttail hem does flash a little lower side-knee. Mmmhmmm.


 Thanks so much Katie bossing me into such a great project! It's already getting its share of wear.

p.s. Check out Katie's project here!

*update*
p.p.s. Here's a link to purchase the fabric!
seymour.
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