Remember a few weeks back where I showed you how to prepare a thrifted bed sheet to be used as fabric for sewing with? (And tried to convince you that you wanted to?) Maybe this will help prove my point. Or maybe not. My fashion sense has drifted heavily into “because it’s comfortable and amuses me” territory in the last few years. So without delay; Behold! The magical, cozy, flannel dress that I have absolutely lived in this winter.
Most of the sheets I sew with are not flannel, so I suppose in a way this was an unconventional first project to show you. Going back to wearing flannel in the winter will seriously change your life though. It’s warm, it’s soft, and it’s still breathable. The fabric I chose for this dress is fairly thin so I have never been too hot in it. It is an easily layered piece that I can wear many ways.
I drafted the pattern myself and it is a very simple one. Oversized bodice that I can slip over my head without needing buttons or zippers. Slightly longer sleeves so that I can fold up a cute little cuff, but not so long that I would have them falling down while I do dishes. (My official litmus test for sleeves. I have zero patience for things that get in the way of everyday tasks I am doing. It has left me with some odd requirements for my clothing at this point!) The skirt is full enough to have movement, but not so full that it gets in the way. It is long enough that I don’t have to think about my clothes if it is windy, but short enough not to restrict movement. Kind of a Goldilocks, grab and go kind of dress.
If you wanted to try making something similar, you could build it quite easily using a relaxed bodice pattern that you already have. If you are feeling confident enough to dip your toes into drafting your own patterns this is a nice safe project to start with. A great stepping stone would be to trace a top or dress that you love the fit of. Just make sure it is of a similar fabric! I would really recommend that you draft the bodice using a scrap piece of fabric. First of all this will let you baste the seams and adjust the fit before you cut into your dress fabric. Secondly it allows you to keep the pattern to be used later, and re-fitted or tweaked depending on the project.
Sleeves are optional and can be made any length you like. The skirt is just one or two rectangles, depending on the length of your fabric. (This is one of the bonuses of sheets; they are much wider than fabric off of the bolt. If you missed to tutorial you can find it here: https://www.hodgepodgehomesteading.com/2023/01/30/sewing-with-thrifted-sheets/ )
That’s it folks! a really simple, quick, self drafted pattern that can be whipped up in an afternoon. Well, an imaginary afternoon. The kind where everyone else in the house is suddenly not there, your hair is washed, and you don’t have anything else on your to-do list looming over you.
P.s. I am obsessed with plaid over here for some reason. Is it just me? Is it the winter? Am I turning into a hobbit? What do you think about the whole plaid thing?