Valerie is sharing one of her favorite recently made garments: the Autumn Dress from Style Arc. It’s a modern take on the classic shirtdress, with a lot of traditional shirt details, like a crisp collar, back yoke, and curved hem, but made fresh with features like deep pleats down the front and back.
Maker: Valerie
Pattern Used:
This is the Autumn Dress from Style Arc.
Pattern description: “You will love this versatile dress that can be worn on any occasion. The knife pleat down the front and the crossed over knife pleat falling from the back yoke makes this dress a flattering alternative to add to your wardrobe. The extended shoulder line along with the stitched front detail, shirt tail hem line and inseam pockets really sets this great dress apart from the rest.”
(We carry several Style Arc patterns in the shop, and we are also able to print copy shop patterns on demand if you would like a style or size range that we do not currently have in stock. All you have to do is get in touch with our print shop!)
Fabric Used:
I used Peppered Cotton in the color way Aubergine.
Did you make a muslin?
I did make a muslin, because I knew I wanted to do a full bust adjustment.
Did you make any alterations to the pattern?
Yes! My changes were for fit purposes. I did a full bust adjustment, adding a dart, and then played with the placement of the dart quite a bit…I settled on rotating the dart upwards into the armscye, and then slightly lowering the opening of the armhole.
I also stitched down the front pleat all the way down. I like the look of the topstitch, but also it makes the front hang better.
This version ended up being a bit too big in the waist/hips after the inches added in the FBA. For next time, I altered the pattern to take 1” off each side seam starting under the bustline and going all the way down (so 4” all around).
I also made the pockets a little bit bigger. If my pocket can’t fit my phone, then it’s useless to me!
Did you learn any new techniques/skills?
No new techniques, as this pattern is pretty simple.
Do you have any tips for construction?
Style Arc instructions are notoriously minimal, so I actually have several suggestions!
First, I added fusible interfacing to the front facing pieces – I drafted a separate pattern for the interfacing based on the front pattern pieces. In general it makes sense to have shirt facings have a little bit of stability, but in this case it was especially necessary since the pattern has you interface both layers of the collar and the collar stand…there’s no way the neckline would hold up such a heavy collar without some help! I used French Fuse (available in black and white), and it was a perfect weight to go with the peppered cotton.
Left: front pattern; Right: self-drafted facing pattern
Before sewing the center front seam together, you’ll have to make a small diagonal snip into the left front – I did about an inch of stay-stitching on either side of this little notch before snipping, just to add stability.
The pattern also has you topstitch the front facings after sewing the shoulder seams, which didn’t make sense to me, so I did the topstitching first. Also, the mark on the pattern for the topstitching isn’t particularly helpful, I drew my own.
The instructions for the clever back pleat are a bit confusing, although the marks on the pattern are very clear. I just put a pin in each notch marked “center back” and then stacked them on top of each other so that they met the actual center back (where the fabric was cut on the fold). Everything fell neatly into place, and I was left with a deep pleat that looked just like the picture!
Finally, the pattern has you sew the side seams before finishing the hems and the armholes. Since I chose to finish both using self-bias tape (the instructions only say “turn back and stitch,” so you can finish these edges anyway you like), I chose to finish those edges first before sewing the side seams. That way I could do a continuous stitch around the hem, 1” away from the curved edge.
What did you like about the pattern/fabric?
I absolutely love all the details on this dress – the front neckline and collar, the deeply angled back pleat, and the curved hem. And the fact that it has pockets!
Peppered cotton is a delight to work with, and just the right weight for this dress. It also comes in so many colors!
What did you dislike about the pattern/fabric?
The instructions being a bit sparse can be frustrating. Also, the collar stand is drafted with a 1/4” seam allowance, which I find unnecessarily difficult to work with. I’d rather sew a collar with a larger seam allowance, and then trim away excess if necessary – I will probably re-draft the collar stand with a bigger seam allowance for my next Autumn dress!
Would you make it again?
Absolutely! This dress is adorable and actually came together quickly after I figured out all the small changes. I have some Brussels Washer linen I might use for my next one, but there are so many pretty rayon prints and gorgeous colors of Tencel twill that would also look great with this dress!
The Autumn dress is well-named because it’s great with tights and a cardigan in the fall, and equally great by itself in warmer, weather, too!
Stitch Samples is a blog series that gives you a closer look at the samples made by members of our shop gang.
That is adorable! I would love to see a picture of the back.
I will ask Valerie if she can snap a photo of the back!