5 years ago
McCalls 7834
When the leaves turned first yellow, then orange then finally red before dropping gently to the ground, and the early mornings took on that unmistakable autumn chill, I made a resolution: I needed to plug the fall shaped hole in my wardrobe. Summer frocks for boiling hot days? I have plenty of those! Warm winter woollies? Pretty good on that front, too. But outfits for autumn days that start off chilly, soar into glorious sunny afternoons before descending again into biting coolness? I had nothing in my wardrobe to cover those particular bases. Quelle horreur!
So I did the only sensible thing possible: I made myself a nifty shirtdress, perfect for pairing with tights and boots, and for wearing with a smart coat when the chill nips and bites!
And what better fabric to choose than the Liberty Wilshire Augusta linen/cotton blend in colourway – wait for it! – Autumn. I love this classic Liberty print so much, and was thrilled to see it was now being made in a linen and cotton fabric blend. It was absolutely perfect for this shirtdress – light enough to wear comfortably if the day became warm, but study enough to show off the gathering and ruffles featured in this pattern. And who could resist such a gorgeous print for autumn – the Wiltshire print first made an appearance in 1933, and has been part of the Liberty Classics since the late 1970s. This print, to me, symbolises the enduring appeal of Liberty fabrics and will forever be one of my favourites. What can I say – I’m a big fan!
I chose to make this dress up using McCalls 7834. This pattern has floaty shirtdresses with different sleeve, collar and length options. I made view A but didn’t include the ruffles for the collar and the shirt cuffs as I prefer to keep those lines clean.
The details in this dress are very cool, and totally won me over! First, the waist is gathered in with elastic casing, making the dress really easy and comfortable to wear, without being too frumpy and shapeless at the waistline. The skirt is very full, and gathered in, and finishing the skirt bottom is gathered ruffle. Buyer beware: this is one short and full skirt, so be careful around sudden breezes, as it is liable to fly up in the air!
The sleeves are finished with narrow hem openings to which the buttoned cuffs are attached. The sleeve itself was meant to be eased in, but I decided to gather the top of my sleeve head and sew it in that way, as I felt it really suited the overall vibe of the dress.
I’m super happy with how this dress has turned out. It’s everything you want in a trans-seasonal dress – light to wear yet still covering, perfect for layering with either a cardigan or coat, and looks smart enough for both day wear and going out for a night on the town. I do love a high collared dress with long sleeves but shorter skirts – this dress has ticked a lot of my design boxes!
And since it’s been made in a classic and gorgeous fabric, I think it will be happily worn for many autumns to come!
#liberty #libertyfabrics #autumn #wiltshire #shirtdress #mccallspatterns #mccalls7834 #fall #fashion #winter #winterstyle #florals #classic #daytonight #dress #m7834 #MinervaBrandAmbassador #MinervaMakes #MinervaMakers
When the leaves turned first yellow, then orange then finally red before dropping gently to the ground, and the early mornings took on that unmistakable autumn chill, I made a resolution: I needed to plug the fall shaped hole in my wardrobe. Summer frocks for boiling hot days? I have plenty of those! Warm winter woollies? Pretty good on that front, too. But outfits for autumn days that start off chilly, soar into glorious sunny afternoons before descending again into biting coolness? I had nothing in my wardrobe to cover those particular bases. Quelle horreur!
So I did the only sensible thing possible: I made myself a nifty shirtdress, perfect for pairing with tights and boots, and for wearing with a smart coat when the chill nips and bites!
And what better fabric to choose than the Liberty Wilshire Augusta linen/cotton blend in colourway – wait for it! – Autumn. I love this classic Liberty print so much, and was thrilled to see it was now being made in a linen and cotton fabric blend. It was absolutely perfect for this shirtdress – light enough to wear comfortably if the day became warm, but study enough to show off the gathering and ruffles featured in this pattern. And who could resist such a gorgeous print for autumn – the Wiltshire print first made an appearance in 1933, and has been part of the Liberty Classics since the late 1970s. This print, to me, symbolises the enduring appeal of Liberty fabrics and will forever be one of my favourites. What can I say – I’m a big fan!
I chose to make this dress up using McCalls 7834. This pattern has floaty shirtdresses with different sleeve, collar and length options. I made view A but didn’t include the ruffles for the collar and the shirt cuffs as I prefer to keep those lines clean.
The details in this dress are very cool, and totally won me over! First, the waist is gathered in with elastic casing, making the dress really easy and comfortable to wear, without being too frumpy and shapeless at the waistline. The skirt is very full, and gathered in, and finishing the skirt bottom is gathered ruffle. Buyer beware: this is one short and full skirt, so be careful around sudden breezes, as it is liable to fly up in the air!
The sleeves are finished with narrow hem openings to which the buttoned cuffs are attached. The sleeve itself was meant to be eased in, but I decided to gather the top of my sleeve head and sew it in that way, as I felt it really suited the overall vibe of the dress.
I’m super happy with how this dress has turned out. It’s everything you want in a trans-seasonal dress – light to wear yet still covering, perfect for layering with either a cardigan or coat, and looks smart enough for both day wear and going out for a night on the town. I do love a high collared dress with long sleeves but shorter skirts – this dress has ticked a lot of my design boxes!
And since it’s been made in a classic and gorgeous fabric, I think it will be happily worn for many autumns to come!
#liberty #libertyfabrics #autumn #wiltshire #shirtdress #mccallspatterns #mccalls7834 #fall #fashion #winter #winterstyle #florals #classic #daytonight #dress #m7834 #MinervaBrandAmbassador #MinervaMakes #MinervaMakers