The Alder My Friends, Is Blowing in the Wind...

Get it? Cause it's an Alder Shirtdress...Alder sounds like answer... What can I say? I'm a nerd. (Another nerdy fact: an Alder is a tree, and it indeed blows in the wind - okay I'm done.) Anyway, here is my first ruffle butt Alder Shirtdress. I made this one before my Pug one, and while this one is actually a full size smaller, I feel like it fits a bit better.  Weird right? I didn't think that when I made it (obvs because I made my second one a size bigger) but now that I've worn it a few times, I'm liking the fit better. I'm not sure if it's the weight of the fabric (both are cottons but this one is a little lighter) or if I made an error somewhere. Either way, it's hard for me to believe that this one is a size smaller.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day today, but it was pretty windy (as you will see in the pictures). Maui is known for its tradewinds, and while they made getting these photos a bit of a pain, they keep the air from getting too hot, so you stay cool and comfortable. John and I were out for a walk so I thought we might be able to find a better spot for pictures than our lanai. Might as well get some scenery in there, we are in Maui after all.  John is so good to me, taking all these pictures - talk about patience! We were walking along South Kihei Road which is the main drag here in Kihei. Our condo complex is on one side of this street, and the ocean is on the other.

Anyway, onto more details about the dress. This is a size 6 with an 1.25" FBA. I chose a size 6 based on my upper bust or chest size, just like I did for my Archer shirt. The Alder has a bit closer fit than Archer, so I'm still fiddling with it a little. When I did my first try on of this one, I found it a bit tight across the bust so I took the seam allowances down to 1/4" which helped. It still gapes enough that I added a safety pin today to keep it from gaping wide open, but I'm also wondering if maybe that has a bit to do with my snap placement. I think the snap should be right in line with or just slightly above my bust point, and it's not.  I changed that on my Pug version. I also shortened this by 2 inches at the lengthen and shorten line.

This lovely floral cotton print came from Goldhawk Road in London. It's super soft and perfect for a summer dress. I actually made a Washi dress out of the same fabric in a different colour way. It's beautiful to work with, and I love the colours. I used my favourite pearl snaps from Snap Source. The purple snap matches perfectly. I was tempted to go with an orange snap, but I didn't have any in my stash, and I am way too impatient to wait.

It's hard to see it in these photos because of the wind, but I love the high-low hem this dress has. It's pretty short by design, so longer hem at the back gives a little more coverage if you have to bend down to pick something up.

This windy shot was just too good not to share. How does Beyoncé do it?

I am so happy with how this dress turned out, and I love the colour even though it brings out my paleness. It's been perfect for Maui: light, breezy and comfy.

I am really loving sewing my own clothes all the time, but it was really fun doing it for this trip. I don't have a ton of warm weather apparel because I have a hard time finding what I want (and getting it to fit), so it was nice to sew exactly what I wanted this time. In the past, I would always want to shop right before a trip, but it's hard to find shorts and tees in the middle of winter in Canada.  It was so nice to just reach into my fabric and pattern stash, and make exactly what I wanted (or pretty close anyway). Plus I know I'll wear all of these things come summer. So win win! I ended up sewing this dress and my pug dress, my Marianne dresses, my Carolyn PJs, and a few more things I'll share with you as soon as I get them photographed.

Do you sew or buy specific clothes for trips? Do you feel like you need something new to wear when you travel?

Marianne goes to Maui

What's the word hummingbird? John and I are in the glorious land of sunshine and pineapples - Maui! Actually it's been quite rainy and overcast since we got here, but it's still warm so it's all good. I have to apologize a bit for these photos. John took them twice (on two different days) and the lighting just didn't work out very well. It probably doesn't help that I'm as pale as a polar bear and matching the overcast sky. But anyway, it is what it is, and I really didn't want to try a third time (or ask John to take them a third time). Perhaps I am being to picky, but maybe not.

Anyway, onto the dresses! This is Christine Hayne's latest release the Marianne Dress.

I have to admit that when this pattern first came out, I wasn't too excited about it. I have a couple of knit dress patterns already, and I also thought I could probably achieve a similar effect with a lengthened t-shirt pattern. But then Christine did a round-up of dresses from her sew-along, and I kind of fell in love (I especially loved the red plaid one near the end). Plus I thought the short-sleeve (or rather no sleeve) version would be perfect for this trip.

You're loving my model in the wind pose aren't you? Just wait, there are more to come LOL.

Being the adventurous sewist that I am. I decided to jump right in and crank out three of these little babies in one night (while watching my new favourite show Nashville - have you seen it? S0 addictive!). I don't usually do that - I almost always make one version of a pattern first to check fit and what not, but I decided that knit dresses are pretty forgiving, and worst case scenario, I could just cut them all into t-shirts or skirts or something, if I didn't like the dress version.

Luckily for me, I loved this dress right away (and for an added bonus, John liked it right of the bat too). It's a perfect, lightweight, easy to throw on dress for a warm vacation. Perfect on it's own with flip-flops, and also quite cute with leggings, boots and a jean jacket or sweater.

This dress has such a nice and flattering shape. It's super simple, and I was quite surprised that it didn't look like a giant sack. Well it is a bit of a sack, but a sack with shape. I should also mention that the pdf file went together fast and painlessly, and GASP I cut it out instead of tracing like I usually do. That cut down the time considerably.

Based on my measurements, I went with a size 10 at the shoulders and bust, and graded to a 12 at the waist and hip. I am really happy with the fit. And I'm really loving the neckline. I know it's a little high, but I like it combined with the kimono sleeves. I also shortened this dress by 2 inches at the lengthen shorten line, and I still had to hem another 2 inches off but that might have to do with the 4-way stretch of this fabric.

This is a perfect shot of the wind hitting me. Look at that hair LOL.

All 3 fabrics are rayon jersey knits from Girl Charlee. And actually the floral one and the gray and white one are from my January Knitfix pack (which was jammed with fabulous fabrics by the way. I think I may have mentioned it already, but I was really happy with what I got). The blue multi-patterned one I ordered at the same time, but it wasn't part of the Knitfix.

I have kind of shied away from rayon knits in the past thinking that they would be clingy and hug all my lumps and bumps, but boy was I wrong! These three lovelies are super soft and have the nicest drape. I think they actually skim over my curves really nicely, and do the opposite of what I thought they would. I see more rayon knits in my future for sure!

All three dresses were constructed with my serger and then hemmed with the coverstitch machine. I just turned the sleeves and hem under to finish, and then I also topstitched the neckline with the coverstitch too.

This was such a super quick and easy project to make for my trip. These dresses are super easy to just toss on and I feel put together and comfortable. Not to mention that they seem to be allergic to wrinkling - perfect for packing. I've worn them all a bunch already, and I know I will continue to wear them when I get home.

Do any of you have spring/summer on the brain yet? Have you started sewing for it yet? Also any foolproof and easy tips for getting good blog photos are welcome! I hope it's warming up wherever you are (it was actually +16˚C in Calgary yesterday - wowsers!).

The Crazy Dog Lady Sewing Challenge

Hey everybody! What's up? You've been waiting to see what kind of crazy dog lady garment I would come up with haven't you? (Or maybe you follow me on Instagram and you already know. Either way, fear not, the wait is over.) Get ready for a pug and picture heavy post. If you have heard about the Crazy Dog Lady Sewing Challenge (or spied the little badge in my sidebar), then this post will not come as a surprise. I think it is pretty clear that I am a crazy pug lady and an obsessive garment sewer, so of course I would join a Crazy Dog Lady Sewing challenge!! When I first learned about this fabulous challenge on Instagram, I was thrilled! I've been hoarding some super cute pug fabric since the summer (I found it when I bought my cat fabric). I was leaning towards making anothet Archer shirt, but I did that for the Crazy Cat Lady Sewing challenge, so it seemed repetitive. I decided to go for an Alder Shirtdress. I have wanted to make the ruffle butt version (thanks Meg for the nickname) for quite some time, so I decided why not go for some seasonally inappropriate sewing? It's time for a change right?

This is View B in a size 8 with a 1.25" FBA. I think the fit is pretty close, but it's not perfect. It still pulls a little tiny bit across my chest (and you can see a little tightness in the back because of it) so next time I think I will go with a size 10 for the bodice with a size 8 skirt and adjust from there. I'm finding fitting Alder a little more difficult than Archer.

The fabric is a Michael Miller quilting cotton from Fabric.com. It's absolutely adorable with little fawn and black pugs and the rare silver pug . When I saw it, I knew I had to have it. It's called Pugs and Kisses, and I actually bought the other pug print called Pugs on Holiday, but I'll save that for something else. At the time I wasn't sure what I would make out of it, but come on, it has pugs, how can you go wrong? I love sewing with quilting cotton. It cuts and presses so well, and it's just really easy to sew with.

The only drawback to sewing garments with quilting cotton is that it's a bit stiff, but I'm hoping with some more washes and wears it will soften up and drape a little bit better.

I decided to add side seam pockets because who doesn't love pockets? I used the pattern piece from Deer & Doe's Chardon skirt as it was nearby (and I'm too lazy to draft my own). They worked out perfectly, and I think they go well with the style. Although now I see that none of these pictures really show you what they look like. Oh well! My hands are actually in the pockets in the first picture, but it's a little hard to tell because the dress flares a lot in this fabric.

While I was working on this dress, I posted a couple of pictures of it on Instagram and Gillian suggested I find a matching brooch to go with it a la Heather B (who has the coolest brooch collection btw). Then Amber suggested Erstwilder because they make a lot of cute dog brooches. Gotta love the sewing community! I ended up ordering from Aubijou Boutique (an Erstwilder stockist). They have a huge selection of brooches but they also carry earrings, so of course I had to order pug earrings too!

So yeah, I've gone full crazy pug lady! And....guess what? I love it!! I know this dress is a bit of a novelty dress, but I love it, and I plan to wear it lots no matter how twee it is. I'm not sure mint is the best colour for me, but it has pugs!! PUGS! And speaking of pugs, it wouldn't be right to finish this post without some pug cameos, would it?

So from left to right: Quincie (she's 12), Jackie Boy (he's 10) and Shanny (she's 11).

Aren't they cute?  All three of them are rescues that we adopted about 3 years ago. They were all breeding dogs, which has led to some health issues, but we are loving spoiling them rotten and helping them to live out their last years in the lap of luxury. Quincie came to us first, and a couple of months later we got Jackie Boy and Shanny who are a bonded pair. We absolutely adore all 3 of them, and they all the cutest little personalities. Pugs make fabulous, comical, and extremely loyal companions. They seem to get along with everyone, and they live to love (and eat, can you tell?). Aside from their constant shedding, they are an extremely adaptable and low maintenance breed. Pugs are the perfect little package if you ask me, and I am so happy that we decided to adopt these three. Also, did you know that a pack of pugs is called a grumble? The more you know....Lol.

I would have loved a shot with me and all three of them together, but it was pretty difficult to wrangle them all together and get them to stay put, plus they are way too heavy and awkward for me to hold all at the same time. Here's me trying to convince Jackie Boy and Shanny to pose. Pug butts are the cutest!

 And here I am trying to lift them both:

Don't they look thrilled? I love all these shots!

So there you have it. I had a lot of fun sewing up this dress and participating in this challenge. Tanya, Carlee, and Sophie-Lee have put together some amazing prizes and entry is open until March 15th. So if you want to play along, there's still plenty of time. You can also check out (and join) the Flickr group to see some other Crazy Dog Ladies too!

Are you crazy about your pet? Do you or have you ever sewn up and worn a garment in novelty fabric? 

Top 5 Hits of 2014 (+ reflections & goals)

This was a tough list for me to make. I have been lucky to have a number of hits this year, although a lot of them have come in the last six months or so. I really love making a garment that fits me well and looks nice, but that I also wear a lot. So anyway enough blabbing, here are my top 5 hits of 2014:

1. Self-drafted Beetle Blouse - before you get too excited, I drafted this blouse with a pattern-maker template, so it was pretty easy. It was the first button down shirt I ever made, and I still love it to death. I wore in once or twice a week all summer and it still gets a bit of wear this winter with a cardigan thrown over top.

2. Sleeveless Moneta - the sleeveless part of this dress isn't the greatest as there is a lot of gaping, but throw a sweater or a jean jacket on top and you would never know. I wore this dress a ton in the summer and then I paired it with boots and tights for the colder months. It is super comfy and so easy to throw on. Plus I find it goes with everything. 

3. Grainline Studio's Archer - Dudes!! So far, this is my all time favourite pattern - to make and to wear. The buffalo check one was my first attempt - a bit of a wearable muslin. And then my Crazy Cat Lady version is where I really perfected the fit. I have made this shirt up 5 times for myself already (with 2 more in process right now) and once for my Mom. Now that I have my pattern altered perfectly, it is a cinch to make up. I have done an FBA and added a bust dart for my TNT version. I know some of you don't like bust darts, but it make a world of difference in the fit and look of a garment - I promise you it's worth the effort to add one. Someday I may try a dart less FBA, but for now I'm quite happy with how this baby turns out.

4. Ginger Jeans - I have made 2 pairs of Gingers so far (here and here) and I love both of them. I wear them all the time. I honestly can't rave about this pattern enough. It fit me pretty much perfectly right off the bat and the instructions are fantastic. I see many, many more pairs in my future, and I have a really hard time seeing myself buy another pair of RTW pants again.

5. Holiday Party Anna - okay, so this dress isn't really a wardrobe staple, but I absolutely love it. And everybody needs a good party dress, right? I felt so amazing wearing this at my husband's work Christmas party, and I was so proud that I made it myself. I think the colour really suited me, and the border print worked out amazingly. (If I do say so myself LOL.)

So as I said before, this was a tough list for me to make, so I also wanted to include some honourable mentions. I love my Nettie bodysuit and Chardon skirt, I love my Sutton blouses, and I love my Hudsons (see below). I have actually made 4 pairs of Hudsons and they are my go to lounge pant.

I also have to mention my Pyjama Eaters. I had so much fun making them (and posing them, photographing them, and writing about them), and every time I look  at them I smile.

Okay, time for a recap and some goals now: I have had a ton of fun sewing this year and I have learned a ton. I really feel like I have found my calling. It seems I have been searching and searching for a hobby my whole life, and this is one of the first times that I have stayed really passionate and thrilled about something for such a long time (well a year anyway but I'm just as excited about it, or maybe more than the day I started so I think that's pretty good). I look forward to fine tuning the skills I have learned so far and also tackling more complex patterns this year. I am trying really hard not to be intimidated by anything (especially patterns labelled intermediate or gasp! advanced), because I am one of those people who has to do it to learn it. I would also like to attempt making a coat or a jacket this year (hello #rigelbomberjacketjanuary!), and I would really like to make more jeans and some shorts. I am hoping to eventually have a complete handmade wardrobe, but we'll see.  I would also like to make my husband some things - maybe a shirt or two and some lounge pants. I'm trying not to set lofty goals as that seems to make me want to do the opposite - apparently I have a thing about rebelling against rules.

So there you have it - I am finished my wrap up for 2014. I have a bit of a backlog of projects to show you, so I'll get on that soon too! Hope you had a fabulous 2014 and I look forward to sharing my 2015 with you!

Top 5 Misses of 2014

So I might be a little late to the party, but I wanted to join in on Gillian's year end round up. I had lots of fun discovering sewing blogs last January and I especially loved reading everyone's round ups. I only just started sewing at the beginning of 2014 so I did have a number of projects that didn't quite work out. A lot of them have long been forgotten (I do keep a sewing notebook however and have written about pretty much every garment I've made this year), but I thought I would share a few of the ones I have photos of. Really even if I am saying these garments are fails in this post, they really aren't. Even if they didn't work out I did still have fun sewing them up and with every project I sew, I learn - and that's all good.

Anyway, with out further ado, here are my top 5 misses:

1) Megan Nielsen's Tania Culottes - This is a great pattern, and I had lots of fun making it up, but the finished product just didn't suit my figure. I had hoped that they would fit a lot like a circle skirt and become a summer staple, but they looked horrible on me (so horrible that you will never see me in them). I did however have fun learning how to use the rolled hem feature on my serger. The fabric was a cheap but cute polyester I picked up in the clearance section of Fabricland. I've seen lots of great versions of this pattern online, and it looks great on some people, but it's not for me.

2) Bluegingerdoll's Winifred Dress - This one was actually really heart-breaking. I was confident that it was going to fit my shape well based on the pattern description, but after two failed attempts, and lots of Instagram advice, I left it behind. I wasted some gorgeous fabric I got on Goldhawk Road in London, and learned my lesson about making muslin. I still really wish this dress fit me, as I love the style and the bold print, but I just couldn't make it work.  I have however taken extensive notes, so I may try it again someday when I'm feeling more confident about fitting.

3) Grainline Studio's Scout Tee - I have made this pattern a number of times now, and to be completely honest, I have never really been happy with the fit. I have one floral version that I wear every once in a while, but usually only when everything else is in the laundry. It's okay, but not good enough for me to get a lot of wear out of. I think that I really need to add a bust dart for it to work on me. I'm a bit too curvy to not have a bit more shape. I still probably would have worn this top as is, but the fabric makes it look like a scrub top. It doesn't look too bad in the photo, but in person it looks awful.

4) Jalie Pattern's Dolman Tops - I actually made 5 of these. I wear 2 of them frequently, but this one just did not turn out. The combination of stripes and long sleeves makes me look like a circus tent. I did end up cutting off the long sleeves which made it better, but I still count it as a fail. I think the look on my face says it all. LOL

5) Christine Hayne's Emery Dress - this is a fantastic pattern and I love all the versions of it around the interwebs, but this version I made just does not work. I was inspired by Lauren's version, and I should have read her post about it more carefully, because she had the same feelings about hers when she was done, as I did about mine. I wore this dress the day I took the pictures, but that was it. It doesn't look too bad in the photos, but the fit is awful. The bodice is super tight, my boobs are squished, and I think the check is just generally unflattering. I made another version in different fabric that I am much happier with. And truth be told, I will probably make another one someday with some more fit adjustments.

So there you go, my misses for 2014. I have learned so much this year and I am now making more garments that I wear more often. My first projects were pretty much all dresses, but now I'm making button-d0wns and jeans! JEANS!!! I'm thrilled! When John gifted me a serger last year at Christmas, I had no idea how this little hobby would take over my life, my blog and introduce me to so many new internet friends. I love this community of sewers and bloggers, and a year later I still can't get enough.

Next up will be my Top 5 Hits. I'm having a hard time narrowing it done.

How was your 2014? 

Holiday Party Anna

John's work Christmas party was on Saturday, so naturally I wanted to make myself a new dress. Of course being the procrastinator that I am, I hummed and hawed until late Thursday night. I knew right away which fabric from my stash I wanted to use, but I couldn't decide on a pattern.  I finally settled on By Hand London's Anna, as I have made it a few times before (all unblogged), and I knew that I would have minimal fitting issues as it fit so well right out of the envelope the other times I have made it. Plus I saw the fabulous version that Gillian made for her sister and that pushed me over the edge.

This gorgeous fabric is a border print that I bought at Tissus St. Hubert back in March when we were in Montreal. It's a beautiful border print and I knew that eventually I would work up the nerve to cut into it.  I have no idea what it's made of. It feels like cotton on the right side and some kind of silk or rayon on the wrong side. What ever it is, it was delicious to work with and to wear.

Instead of the pattern's gored skirt I went with a simple gathered skirt. I have seen this combo many times (as I'm sure you have too) so I knew it would work perfectly to showcase this amazing border print. Basically, I cut the fabric to the length of skirt I wanted (21" - cause I'm short) and then I just gathered the width of the fabric (which was about 58") and left a seam at the back to match the bodice. This way I didn't have to mess with any pattern matching or anything like that. I am super happy with how it turned out - just the right amount of gathers and the fancy embroidery looks awesome (if I do say so myself).

Isn't that fabric gorgeous? Anna is such a quick and satisfying make. I had this baby finished by late Friday night. The only problem that I ran into, was I only had a red invisible zip. After conferring with John I decided to go ahead and insert it even thought it didn't match. I figured that it's invisible anyway, and the red pull looked kind of cool with the purple.  How was I to know that this would be my undoing?!

After inserting the zipper, I tried on the dress to figure out the hem and the zipper broke. Well it split really. After much wrangling, I got the dress off and I could see where some of the stitching got a little too close to the teeth, so I unpicked it and was able to re-route the zipper and all was well. Or at least I thought.

Saturday evening before the party, I put the dress on and the zipper split again. Ugh!! I was so bummed, and kicking myself for not buying a new zipper earlier in the day. But anyway, I didn't. I unpicked some stitching again, cut the end in half, re-routed the zipper pull, and sewed a new stop.  Which luckily worked, and I was able to wear the dress after all.  I did however do the zip up halfway turn the dress around to check the teeth and then twisted it back around for John to do up the rest of the way. So I think that's why the dress looks a bit skewed on my body in these photos. Unfortunately, I didn't realize quite how awful the zipper looked until I started writing this blog post. I swear everything matched up when I sewed it! Oh well! The party had dim lighting. ;)

John snapped these photos of me just before we left for the party, and in looking at them now, I can see that the dress really looks off kilter on my body. I promise that that is not how it looks in real life, it's just that I had spun the dress around on my body to fix the zipper up, and then turned it back around in a hurry so it was a bit twisted for these photos. I really wanted to make sure we got some photos of it before we left, as I knew we wouldn't really feel like doing it when we got home.  Anyway, it all worked out, and despite my fear of the zipper bursting (I brought a back-up sweater), the dress was fine all night and the zipper held. John assured me that it didn't look this rough at the party, and I got lots of compliments, so all is well.

I am so happy that I was able to make my dress. Sewing is the best! It felt so awesome to be wearing something that I made with my own two hands, that fit me really well, and that I knew no one else could ever have. In the past, I have sometimes worried about arriving in the same dress as someone else - not that that would be the end of the world, but I like to be unique.

Are you sewing a party dress this season? Do you have lots of events to attend?

I hope you all are keeping well and managing not to get too stressed! I'm having lots of fun making some gifts, and stressing about others, but I know it will all work out, it always does!

Alder the Second

Ba da da da.....(prepare yourself for some super sunny pics, super white legs and silly, derp faces, oh and pug butts.)!

This is my second attempt at Grainline Studio's Alder Shirtdress, and this time I am in love. While I really liked the purple chambray, it was not what I had envisioned for this dress. I had always intended the chambray to be a wearable muslin/practice garment, and this lovely cotton paisley to be the actual dress.

I made a straight size 14 (gasp! now you know my size), with no alterations except to shorten the pattern by 2.5 inches (I think that we have already discussed that I'm short!). I am really happy with the length and I think it's closer to the length it's meant to be. I apologize for the super sunny photos, but I have been very anxious to get this bad boy blogged about.

What do you guys think about the fit? I think it fits how it should although it's a touch wide at the hips for me, but then my stepmom (who is staying with us right now and knows nothing about sewing I might add) said it's too wide in the shoulders for me. I think she's out to lunch but I can't help but second guess myself.

What do you think of my new sneakers? John is not sure they go, but I feel super hip wearing them with this dress, and they make this outfit feel casual and much more me (as much as I'd love to be, I am just not a heels girl except for my clogs and some low heeled boots). I think I also feel like I am breaking some kind of rule about only wearing dress shoes with dresses. What can I say, I'm a fashion rebel. There is one picture at the bottom of this post with me wearing my black flats with this dress and they look good too, but I love my sneakers! Am I crazy?

I am super in love with the paisley pattern on this light cotton. I wish I could tell you more about the fabric, but I don't know much else about it. I picked it up on Goldhawk Road when we were in London in the spring because both John and I were attracted to the colours (Yup, I have the best husband ever, not only does he come fabric shopping with me, he picks fabric out for me too!). It presses really well and was super easy to sew with.

I wasn't sure what colour of buttons to use, but John suggested a rust or bronze colour (he's so good), so off to Fabricland I went. I ended up with these metallic orange buttons, and I think the look really great. Turns out there are perks to being short: you need less buttons (I only needed 8) and of course less fabric.

This time I used Andrea's collar method, and it was so much easier/better looking than the traditional method. I was following along with the Alder Sew-a-long, but I got impatient, jumped ahead and finished this dress. It really did help with the button bands thought (I wasn't sure if I made them right on my first go) and I made sure to carefully mark my pocket placement before sewing the darts this time so everything went much smoother. I am looking forward to seeing how the variations Jen mentioned at the beginning of the sew-a-long are done, because I am now really happy with this dress and want to make more. I think John is even coming around.

So that's it. I am taking a break from Alders to make some t-shirts. I have discovered that my Me-Made wardrobe is bursting with dresses, but lacking basics, so I want to get a few of those made. I love dresses, but sometimes I just want a t-shirt and jeans.

What are you up to this weekend?

Alder the First

So here it is, my Grainline Studio Alder Shirtdress! I loved this design the minute I saw it on Jen's instagram feed,  and I bought it pretty much the second it went on sale. Then it sat and it sat and it sat, and I couldn't drudge up enough courage to make it. I had so many fears: how would it look on a curvier shape like mine? I've never made a collar with a stand - how would that work? What fabric would I use? What if I put in a bunch of time and it looks awful on me?? It seemed easier to just dream about it and let it sit on the shelf, rather than try it out and possibly be disappointed (or thrilled). Silly, huh?

I finally just bit the bullet and decided to try it out late last week. I went with View A first, but I do have plans to make the ruffle butt (View B) version too.

Oh my goodness, do I ever need a haircut!! I took these photos last night as I wanted to get them done, but I'm looking a little rough and perhaps taking photos after a big steak dinner is not the best idea in the world.

I used a super soft purple chambray I bought months ago out of the clearance section at Fabricland. I had planned to make a practice Archer out of it, but I decided it would probably work really well for an Alder wearable muslin. I'm not sure I am crazy about the colour on me, especially as a solid dress, but it's okay.

The construction of this baby went well. The collar is far from perfect, but it's not awful for my first try,  and I had a bit of trouble with positioning the pockets (note to self -be sure to make pocket markings when cutting out, not when it's already sewn). I also feel like I may have screwed up the button band. It seems like the sides of this shirt are not symmetrical, but it might just be me. My husband couldn't see what I was talking about, and he's pretty picky about those things.  Jen's instructions are very good, and if you've made a button down shirt before, I am sure they would be enough, but because I haven't, I feel like I needed a little extra hand holding. I'm pretty confident that once all the sew along posts are up, they will clear up any issues I had. So I am very much looking forward to that.

I didn't make any adjustments, except to hem it up an extra 2 inches. I didn't shorten the pattern because I wanted to see the original length on me, but it was of course too long, and I actually think it's meant to be even shorter. I think the fit is pretty good, but next time I might grade down a size in the hips as I feel like there is a bit too much fabric there. I debated adding side seam pockets, but I decided against it as I like how streamlined this version is. I think on the ruffle butt version side seam pockets would work really well.

I can definitely see myself make a ton of cute shirts from this pattern, or even shortening it to a tunic length to wear with leggings. John said it just looks like a really long shirt and would be much better if I just chopped it off at the waist. So needless to say he's not a big fan. I'm not sure what I think. It's cute and comfy, but does it flatter, or just make me look like a big blob? I love how it looks from the front, but when I turn to the side, I'm not so sure. Perhaps it's because I'm not in love with the fabric. I think maybe in a patterned fabric I might feel differently. I have loved all the ones I've seen around the interwebs - they are all so cute.

What do you think? Can you help me decide? Is it a keeper?