The Embellished Shirtdress - A Denim Vogue 2090

I chose to make this pattern again in denim during my Sewcation because I really want to own as many denim dresses as I can.  They are easy to wear, fit in with my work environment and my lifestyle.  Dressing them up or down, wearing them out with friends or to work, makes them a very desirable garment for me.

This version is made from a midweight denim that works for cooler spring days and will transition from summer to fall days. I will probably only get one or two wears out of it before it gets really hot here but I'm good with that. 

Supply List ~
Denim is from Stylemaker Fabrics and is the last of the 10 yards I purchased from them.
Navy/White Gingham scraps from Fabric Mart
5/8" Goldish Buttons from Pacific Trimmings
Jeans Gold Gutterman Thread for topstitching

Construction ~
The embellishment for this dress is the topstitching done in the jeans gold thread. All of the seams are topstitched - some with a double twin needle and some seams like the collar and the front button bands are sewn with single seams of topstitching.

I also added a small pocket on the front of the dress which is different from the original pattern which has faux pocket flaps. I probably would have used the pocket flap but I couldn't find the pattern piece so I had to make my own pocket piece.

To make the pocket pop and to coordinate with the collar stand, I cut a 5"x5" square from the blue & white gingham. I used a quilting square to get a good square, then I serged the ends twice. I thought about rolling the hems of the square but wasn't that invested in the process. Serging twice allowed me to cover the edges adequately and looks good on the square folded in the pocket.

The side, back and shoulder seams have a faux flat fell seam finish. Seams sewn normally, pressed open, pressed to the side and topstitched using a twin needle. The twin needle size I used is a 6.0mm size 100 universal from Klasse'. 

This version has short sleeves too. The hems were topstitched with a twin needle using the jeans gold colored thread. The dress hem was topstitched singly merging into the button band seam lines.

BTW, I never put a buttonhole on the collar stand. I don't button it closed and I hate trying to get a buttonhole to work in that area...so I just leave it off. Sometimes I will add a button to the collar stand to continue the style, but for this dress I didn't.

Some pictures of the dress ~

Conclusion ~
This was a TNT sew and since the fit issues were worked out it left my mind free to work on the creative aspects of the dress. I really like the fit through the shoulders and bustline and how loose it is from the waistline down. If you noticed in the photos, this was a little wrinkled because I've already worn it to work. It passed the wearability test with flying colors.

At the end of my Sewcation, I thought I would probably make one or two more. However, now that I'm back to work and thinking about what else I want to wear this summer, these two will probably be the only ones I make this year. I own so many patterns, both new & old, as well as TNT, that I want to go on some other creative journeys.

BTW, if you Google "Vogue 2090" there are still some copies of this pattern available on the internet. It's a great wardrobe pattern and if you like those Vogue designer patterns from the 90s, then this one would be a great addition to your pattern stash.

The last dress from the Sewcation is McCalls 7470...it will be up on the blog soon!

...as always more later!

The Embellished Shirtdress Series - Printed Linen Vogue 2090

Halfway through my Sewcation I got overwhelmed.  The Sewcation started with two garments that were less than thrilling and nothing was working the way I planned. When Butterick 6333 was a sewing fail it kinda blew up my sewcation plan. I had to figure out what to do next...so I literally slept most of Wednesday. It didn't hurt that I had to deal with a plumbing problem that will require redoing my second bathroom faster than I wanted to...yeah, glad I have fabric to sew from in the meantime!

I've found when I'm having sewing challenges, pivot towards a TNT pattern. It helps me move past the blockage because it's easy sewing (all those fit issues have been worked out) and it allows me to just dream and sew.  Since Vogue 2090 was out, I decided to move in that direction.

After I decided what pattern to use, the hunt was on for fabric...and when I say hunt I mean hunt. Since I was operating off plan, I had to go through the fabric shelves to find new pieces. I knew I wanted linen and a floral. After going through a few shelves of printed fabrics, I decided on this blue/purple floral.

Supply List ~ 
The linen was purchased last summer during one of Fabric Mart's end of summer sales. I added a large white rick rack from the notions stash. I've had it so long I have no idea where I purchased it. The white mother of pearl buttons are also from the button stash. The interfacing is the last of the Fashion Supply Interfacing stash.

Since this is a TNT sew there are no pattern alterations or new construction information. I added the white rick rack on the collar and on the hem of the sleeve for embellishment.

A few pictures ~

Conclusion ~
This is just the first of the shirtdresses that I made using this pattern. I wanted to add a bunch of these to my wardrobe this summer because they are loose-fitting and perfect for the hot, humid days that are to come. This pattern along with M7470 will fulfill my shirtdress needs.  

I'm calling this "The Embellished Shirtdress" series.  Each dress has a different type of trim or embroidery on it and why I've named it The Embellished Shirtdress Series.

Next up is a denim version of Vogue 2090.

...as always more later!