Italia Shirtdress by Style Arc

 I have a LOT to catch up on! I haven't been blogging, but I HAVE been making. Soon - I promise! - I'll catch up on unblogged makes. For now.... let's just move on to this post about making the Italia Shirtdress by StyleArc. 

First - here's the finished garment, and my dogs. They were having a grand time during this photo shoot. 

Pattern: Style Arc Italia

Fabric: Rag and Bone printed Chambray from Mood

Buttons and interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply (which I mention because their interfacing is so good, and also because when they have pearl shell buttons, you should stock up.)

What I like about this:

- Cute, semi-fitted shirtdress

- Mostly fit out of the envelope (yes I was bad and didn't muslin this, but as it was looser fitting...)

What I would change for next time:

- Increase the length another couple of inches. I normally add 2 inches to every dress for my tall frame, but this is still a little short. I would add another couple of inches, especially if I wanted to wear it in summer. As it is, this dress was intended for leggings and boots in the fall, so completely wearable.

- Grade out at the hips. It fits.... but barely. I would like more ease at the hip.

- Adjust the armscye in the front. Right at the part where the armscye curves the most, I find it a bit binding when I reach forward. I think it needs to be narrower across the front, so bring the armscye on the front in toward center just a little more. This might mean adjusting the sleeve too... hard to say without trying (and with the little experience I have in this area).

Overall a really fun make and I love the look of in the Chambray.

Now on to the construction:

Since Style Arc patterns come with very few instructions, I thought I would take some photos as I went along. Note that I am just trying to figure it out as I go along, and that there are always multiple ways to do everything. This is the way that I did it. At times I deviated from order given in the instructions, like I made my fronts first because that felt logical to me. I've put my closeups and directions in the order in given in the pattern instructions to try to keep it simple. It was too hard to put everything in the pattern order and I've given up. Instead, I'll put it in the order I did it.

1. Cut out and fuse necessary stuff - straight forward enough.
   
   
2. Stitch front darts. I didn't take a photo of this but I clipped the raw edge ends of the darts and awl punched 1/2 inch from the dart ends. The long body dart I took in two passes, waist down to hem and then waist up to dart point. In retrospect, I could have started at the hem and ended at the point.. oh well. It worked anyway! Fold the long dart toward center front and top stitch 1/4 or 1/8 inch from dart seam. 
   
   
3. Prep pockets by folding down first 1/4 inch and then approximately 1/2 inch. Top stitch. (I put two rows of top-stitching cause I'm cool like that - actually it was intentional because this garment especially in the soft chambray could so easily look like PJs that I decided to give some crispness to it in the details to offset that soft look.) Press the seam allowances around sides and bottom of pocket and lay onto shirt front. Stitch around pocket. Again I did two subsequent rows of topstitching. Now, I want to point out that the pattern CLEARLY SHOWS the pocket point ending toward the inside of dart seam (as mine is below), but every drawing and photo of the finished garment shows it lying ON the dart seam... your choice here...
   
   
   
   
4. Fold down and press the center front edge about 3/8 of an inch or 1/4... totally made this part up. Fold again at the marked center front line. 

   
   
   
   
   

   Now turn over and topstitch along the folded edge. Yeah I followed that curve all the way up to the shoulder. If you want it straight, you could cut the front straight (like it is lower down the front of the pattern) and just keep it straight all the way up to the collar edge. If you're adding the optional tab on the right front, fold the seam allowances under all the way around and press really well. Lay on top of right and top stitch that on about 1/16 or 1/8 inch from edge of piece. Your front is prepped!
   
   

   

   
   
   
   
5. Now to prepare the back. Stitch the darts in two passes each, beginning at the waist, stich up to the top point, and down to the bottom point. Press dart bulk toward center. Baste the inside yoke onto the lower back piece. Stitch the outside yoke onto the back and inside yoke. Grade the yoke seam and press the yokes up. Topstitch once or twice across. 
   
   
6. Now to bring front and back together. Baste the inside yoke to the shoulder seam and then using the "burrito method" (seriously look that up it's magic!) stitch the outside yoke onto the shoulder seam. Grade, turn, press and topstitch.
   
   
7. Prep the sleeves. Pleat the sleeve at the cuff and baste the pleat. Then mark the slit. I usually find it best to clip the end of the slit at the edge of the pattern piece, and then mark the length of the slit on the straight grain (this obviously wouldn't work if your sleeve was cut not on grain). Cut along the marked line, stopping right at the end. 
   
8. Now this gets a little weird compared to other shirts I've sewn before.
   
   
   
   Take the side of the slit that's opposite the sleeve pleat and fold it down about 1/8 inch, then again 1/8 inch, for a narrow rolled hem kind of situation.
   
   

   
   

   Top stitch that fold and it's ok that it'll run off the edge at the point.
   
   

   
   Next up is placket. There's some description in the directions so I'll just throw my pics in here...
   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
9. If adding the tab inside the sleeve, do this now! I folded the tab, stitched around two of the open sides, clipped the corners, turned right sides out, tucked the loose end inside 1/4 inside the tab and top stitched. Then I stitched this to the inside of the sleeve as indicated in the pattern. 

   
   
10. Stitch the sleeve head into the armsyce on the bodice. I French seamed this. Stitched first right sides together (at 1/8 inch seam allowance 😬), trimmed the seam, turned right sides out, and stitched at about 1/4-3/8 inch. I put sleeves in differently than most people I've talked to. I put the sleeve down against the feed dogs, pin just at the shoulder, start and end, and use my fingers in between fabric layers to ease the seam allowance as I go. Tends to work out well for me.
    
    
    
    
    

    
    

    
    

    
    

    
    

    

    
    
    
11. Stitch the side seam from sleeve cuff to hem. I French seamed this as above, but this was easier without the curves of the sleeve head. 
    
    
12. Stitch the interfaced side of the cuff to the right side of the sleeve, leaving 1/2 inch (1 cm) of cuff sticking out over the end of the sleeve. Flip the cuff down and place the other cuff piece (the non-interfaced one) onto the interfaced cuff right sides together. Stitch the cuff from where you left it hanging off the edge of the sleeve, down to the curve, across the bottom cuff edge and up around the other curve and to the top of cuff. Trim curves and turn right sides out. Press cuff seam allowance down (on the un-interfaced piece) and baste the cuff in place along that unstitched seam. Turn over and top stitch 1/16 or 1/8 inch from edge of cuff all the way around. Then (if desired) stitch another seam line 1/8 inch from the first seam line. Remove basting stitches. 

    
    
13. Make up collar and collar stand. I didn't use the diagrams, just my experience sewing collars on prior projects. I think this is pretty straight forward and if you are confused there a TON of youtube videos (check out Grainline's Archer pattern/sew alongs)

    
    
14. Turn up hem 1/4 inch and then 1/4 inch again and top stitch down. 

    
    
15. Stitch on buttons and button holes along center front - make sure to put one button and button hole at the widest part of your bust to minimize gaping there - and at the cuffs.