cozy winter flannel
December 4, 2014
Here are a few new dresses, made of flannel, and made for winter. 
They are both designed similarly, with bias cut sleeves, box pleats, and a simple drape.
Blue plaid might work over tights or leggings, to keep warm in this cold, damp weather. Blue plaid’s sleeves are not too long, and the boxy shape would fit well over a long-sleeved shirt. Blue plaid was designed to layer, and to keep cozy. Blue plaid is available for sale on my etsy store.
Brown plaid is going to my mom, so that she can stay warm while keeping shop in Iowa. With the cold winter winds, a warm dress is always welcome!
spring flannel
March 10, 2012
This dress is flannel, but doesn’t have sleeves…a little bit of a contradiction, and I will see how it wears.
I bought a dress recently that I really liked, and drafted this pattern from it. The original had a short front, and a long back, and was a little bit more fitted through the middle. I wanted this to be a bit more simple, and have a looser fitting top.
The neck and arms are all stitched by hand, which takes a while, but I generally enjoy doing hand stitching. I made bias tape out of scraps, sewed it to the edges with the machine, and then folded it under, pressed and pinned it, and then stitched it down. One of the best things about making dresses is being able to finish them carefully and by hand…
The hem is also hand stitched. I love a wide hem, turned under and sewed. There is something very substantial about it, and the dress seems to hang better that way.
The waist is elastic. I inserted an elastic band into the dress, tied it tightly at about the right spot, and cut the ends.
Overall, the dress is comfy, cozy, and can always be worn with a sweater if the weather turns cold.
a dress for a day like today
August 18, 2011
Today was beautiful. Misty, and almost rainy in the morning, then breezy, cool, and sunny all day. I was working at home, and wearing this dress, which I made a few months ago, but haven’t been able to wear.
This dress makes me feel like baking bread, or picking apples. Or roasting pumpkins. Things to look forward to!
The pattern came from a garage sale, and was a little bit too small. So I added a bit of fabric to different spots, experimenting to increase the size.
The fabric is cheap flannel. There is something satisfying about making a dress for $12, plus time. I am hoping that the flannel will hold up to a little bit of wear though…you pay for what you get!
The front of the dress is gathered, and I added some fabric there to increase the size. I also changed the placket a little, and had to adjust it quite a bit more when I realized that the lines of the pattern weren’t matching up well…something more to worry about with plaids!
The sleeves are long, but need to be worn pushed up past the elbows. Otherwise there is just too much green going on! I never put buttons on the cuffs, and if I push them past my elbows and then pull some extra fabric down they seem to hold up well enough.
The pockets are awfully handy. They are conveniently located on the front of the dress, and can hold quite a number of things. The only problem is that the fabric isn’t too strong, and I am worried about the corners of the pockets tearing. I suppose I should have put some interfacing on the underside of the dress for reinforcement, but I didn’t think of that while I was making the dress.
The back is simple, with a bit of shaping at the neck. I was hesitant about putting that in, but I did anyways, and it seemed to work out all right. Again, I was having a little trouble adjusting the fabric so that the lines matched. I am going to need to be a little more vigilant about that!
living in the woods and making stuff 