Bonus: Jamie arrived home while I was outside taking pictures, so he joined me for a bit! We are still trying to work on poses where it doesn’t accidentally look like he is choking me with a hug.
A few weeks ago i showed you my colour–blocked Wiksten Shift top, which I promptly gave away to my mom… well, I’m fighting hard not to give this one to my sister just yet! It’s not that I don’t like it (I do!) but it would suit her even better. The thing is, my teacher union is gearing up for contract negotiations this year, and it could go badly… and in the meantime, we are asked to wear red every Friday! I don’t own a lot of red, so I can’t give this dress away just yet!
The pattern is a simple but elegant shift dress or top, with no darts or significant shaping. One thing worth noting though – the model on the cover is 5’11”, which skews the proportions. On her this length is well above the knee, and the longer length is mid calf… on me, at 5’2″, the longer length hits the floor and this length is below the knee as drafted! I shortened mine an inch or two to avoid being visually swamped.
Without the belt, it’s… well, it’s a boxy dress. You either love it or hate it! I prefer my boxy silhouettes to be a bit shorter, or balanced with a slim sleeve, myself. That’s totally personal preference though, and I’ve seen this pattern look so fantastic on many people!
This was actually my first version of the pattern, and I had to skip the gathering below the back yoke because I didn’t have enough fabric. I think it was for the best though – I sewed this in a poly double knit, and the gathers probably would have bubbled awkwardly in this fabric. In a fluid fabric they are a great detail! I had fun combining scraps of the black windowpane plaid with the floral, and I like how it breaks up the look!
Ready for a side note?
Look at these awesome earrings my friend bought me on a teacher-partnership in Uganda this summer! They are made some a disk of recycled material (a pop can, I think she said?) on the inside, with a circle of fabric gathered around it. What a simple project, and perfect for the Sewcialists Giving Challenge theme month this November! I got lots of compliments on them they day I wore this outfit, and several people noted how well they matched the dress!
Look a bit closer… can you see blue lines on my fingers? That’s because I was showing some students the trick for remembering b/d and p/q illustrated in the picture above. So handy and so simple! But I forgot I was covered in blue marker when I took pictures, so I thought I might as well explain it!
So there, voila! A fun exploration of a new-to-me pattern that probably won’t be a new favourite, but was worth trying anyway. I have enough clothes at this point that exploring different shapes and silhouettes is part of the fun, and if they aren’t my perfect item, I’m happy to pass them on!
Are you on Team Boxy Shift Dress? Let me know down below!
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