Category: Chanel

Sew the look: A denim shirtdress

Published on by ellegeemakes26 Comments

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It’s Spring, the perfect time for shirt dresses. There’s nothing easier to wear when the weather’s warm than a simple dress, and if it’s made from denim…well, that’s even better!! Here are some of the shirt dresses that inspired me this Spring.

First up…Burberry’s version. Perfect in dark denim, with princess seams and topstitching. burberry-brit-dark-indigo-pippi-denim-shirtdress-blue-product-0-002385459-normal

Made well’s version is waistless and the denim looks so soft and comfy.

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This one from Chanel has tucks at the waist. The skirt is so cool…it’s an overlay, or is it a drop waist, or…well..I’m not sure? Love the puffy sleeves and the printed denim. I would die for this dress.

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Here’s mine…Straight cut, princess seams. I need the Chanel shoes with it, don’t you think?IMG_8737For my dress, I used McCall’s 6124, a classic shirt pattern that I used to make Alexa’s corduroy dress here. I love this pattern because it has princess seams, a classic collar with a band, and two-piece sleeves with cuffs; all the timeless design elements I want in a shirt dress.  Honestly though, there are other cool patterns out there too. For my next shirt dress, I’ll try a flared version like Simplicity 8014, Or McCalls 6696. All of those are in my queue, waiting for the perfect fabric to reveal itself.

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My fabric is 5 oz denim from Joann’s (Is it just me, or has that store upped their game lately with more natural fibers and on-trend fabrics?). This fabric has enough body to support the dresses’s structural elements like the pockets, collar and cuffs, but it has a soft feel too, and just the tiniest bit of lycra….which makes this close-fitting dress pretty comfortable to wear.

The details...

  • I added (2) 6″inch self drafted pockets with flaps to the front. I gave them a bit of a pointy edge this time, just for fun! I interfaced the flaps and added functional buttons too (no I will not be stashing money or car keys or my cell in those pockets, but nice to know I could if I wanted to :)).
  • I double top-stitched the dress using topstitching thread. Here’s my latest top-stitching process. To get the distance I wanted between the two rows, I lined up my trusty #57 presser foot (patchwork seam foot) with the seam for the first row. For the second row, I move the needle three clicks to the left of the first row to position it for the second row.I used topstitching thread in gold, and a stitch length of 3.  Love that #57 presser foot (pictured here) I could not have done all of this topstitching without it!

Question though…I used regular thread in the bobbin as my machine groaned when I tried topstitching thread there. Not sure if other’s have that problem?

  • I used bronze jeans buttons that you punch into the fabric. (Fun!!!)
  • I used french seams throughout to keep the insides looking crisp.
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Besides being comfortable, the 5 oz. denim has an added benefit. It didn’t wrinkle ever after I wore it all day!

IMG_8742Yes, it’s Spring, but it’s still cold and rainy outside, so these photos were taken indoors (sigh), but my furry friend quite likes the routine now.

This dress took a bit of time (top-stitching is like that, isn’t it?) but I think it’s a dress I’ll wear a lot, especially since I made a topper to go with it just last week. Hmmm…the word capsule keeps coming into my mind….

Sometime this Spring, I would love to make a drop-waist shirt dress like the Chanel I showed above, but how? Does anyone have pattern suggestions for that?

Happy sewing and thanks for stopping by!

 

Vogue 8828: If Karl can, why can’t I?

Published on by ellegeemakes26 Comments

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I rarely leave the house in anything other than pants and sweaters at this time of year, as the weather makes layering and covering up a matter of survival. But it gets old fast, don’t you think? Pants, jeans, blah! I long to wear a dress, but how? I don’t want to freeze to death.

My dilemma was unresolved until, in a holiday-induced frenzy, I perused the Chanel Couture Collection (I can dream, can’t I?). That’s when I noticed that several of Karl’s creations were actually quilted.

 

 

Of course, the Chanel fabrics are so gorgeous, they could do anything to them, and they would be fabulous. But I was caught up in Karl’s message. Dresses can be classic and beautiful, but warm too! Needless to say, creating a quilted dress became my new obsession.

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The pattern I used for my quilted dress is Vogue 8828, a classic style with princess seams, a fitted bodice, a raised waist, and a semi fitted or loose fitting skirt.

I decided to make the less fitted version as I’m in LOVE with A-line shapes at the moment.

I used two different quilted fabrics from Fabric Depot, a black knit and a gray knit. Both fabrics are stable knits, quilted in a diamond pattern, but of varying sizes, a fact I thought would add some contrast to the dress.

I used the black with the small diamonds for the bodice, the gray with the larger diamonds for the skirt. I thought the gray would provide some contrast for the black. But the REAL reason I picked the gray fabric for the skirt was because of the selvages. They were white and tufted, perfect to use as trim on the princess seams and neckline.

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Or course, as I was considering this strategy, I fancied I was mimicking Karl, since he uses trim everywhere. But OMG, what trim! Have you ever seen anything more beautiful than this?

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I made my own trim by cutting those selvages off the gray fabric in 1″ strips. Then, (carefully, let me tell you) I cut them down, reducing them to a width of  5/8″, zigzagging the edges so they wouldn’t unravel. Before sewing the seams, I basted my new trim at the seam line. Then, when I sewed the seams together, the lovely white part showed.

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Honestly, without that selvage trim, the dress would have been (dare I say it) boring? Black and gray are favorite colors of mine, but they can be a bit dull, to say the least. The lines of the princess seams are the best part of this dress and I’m glad the trim highlights them.

Vogue 8828 is a winner. I love this pattern. The style is classic, but fun and it went together easily. There are a few pattern pieces to manage, but in this instance, Vogue does a nice job of describing the construction steps so that it doesn’t make you lose your mind. Also, the sewing required to complete this dress is pretty straightforward. If you know how to insert a zipper, uou can’t go wrong! My only wish is that I’d used a invisible zipper. Oh well, there’s always next time.This dress is cozy, so it will get a lot of use.  I plan to wear it to several wintery evening events.  I plan to make this pattern again soon, from a dressier fabric.

My conclusion? As usual, Karl wasn’t wrong. Quilting doesn’t need to be limited to heavy overcoats and down jackets. Now, if I only could get my hands on some of his fabulous fabric!

Have you ever made a quilted garment? Did you wear it, or did it end up in the ‘recycle’ pile? Happy sewing, and thanks for stopping by!