Handmade Plaid Shift

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I successfully made something this week. A shift dress. I got the pattern (Indygo Junction IJ908) at Sewing Summit, and to be quite honest I was about to give it away. The cover samples definitely weren’t my style but I kept remembering hearing this advice from Sewing Summit (can’t remember who said it): If you only look at cover art, you’ll miss out on some great patterns. Look at the technical drawings, you’ll find a lot more great patterns that way.

I nixed the pocket, nixed the cowl, shortened the sleeves, took in the bust and lengthened the skirt. I also sewed the drawstring on the outside, I thought showcasing the plaid on the bias was cool.

It took just over 3 hours to make, going slowly. It was a pretty easy pattern; nice not to think and just sew.

The plaid and yellow is a bit sweet, but it’s all about styling. I’ll be adding a chunky grandpa sweater with boots for fall/winter and gladiator flats in the summer.

I used twill tape for the waistband, but my tape was a bit too small for the casing, so I doubled it up with a zig zag stitch. I thought I was being so clever.

It’s a fun new dress to add to my stash of dresses. It’s very lightweight and because it was a structured woven it was really easy to sew with. I’ve been sewing with some really difficult textiles recently (slinky rayons and polyesters), so that was a nice break.

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    1. Miranda says:

      Looks great! I wonder if I brought home one of those patterns too? It is nice to take a break from experimental sewing sometimes and just use a pattern and get it done. Nice one.

    2. Kristin says:

      Its true – a lot of patterns look terrible on the packaging, but are great. The same goes for terrible patterns that look great on the package, but are either terribly written or constructed. Or just ugly :)

      Love the dress! I have some fabric lying around that looks a lot like your plaid. Maybe I should finally use it…..

    3. Emily says:

      Love your version! :)

    4. David Preston says:

      Very cute dress and you accessorized wonderfully!

    5. Lindsay says:

      This is so cute! I love the high-low hem. I just love plaid, too.

    6. Well done!

      I only sew with woven material because I am a fabric sissy!
      I even have a serger but I am still a whimp!

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