Optimistic, or deluded?

Sadly, content on this blog is going to be a little lean for a while. Family illness means that I'm doing a lot of hospital visiting, which in turn means a lot of sitting on buses and trains getting to and from said hospital (and a lot of sitting waiting for said buses and trains to turn up). And annoyingly, the bus journeys are too short and the train journeys too wobbly to get any sewing or knitting done.

Despite both this and my proven inability to complete any creative challenge on time, I've decided that the sensible thing to do in the circumstances is to take part in Shirtwaist September 2025, i.e. make a shirtwaist dress within the next six weeks! Mainly because amid all this I need to be making something to maintain my sanity, and I figured that the timescale of a challenge might prompt me to actually get on with it in what time I do have. I know, I know - it's a long shot. But worth a try!

I've made a few shirtwaists over the years. Before I even started this blog, I made Vogue 8028, view D, in a John Kaldor crepe. It fitted perfectly, and became my go-to dress for difficult days at work - just putting it on made me feel more confident.

One of my most successful makes ever

Sadly, it no longer fits, but I still have it as I can't bear to part with it. I still have the pattern, too. This was in the days when I cut patterns out rather than traced them off, and I cut this to the smallest size, but someday I may get round to resizing it and making another.

Classic shirtwaist pattern

Making a shirtwaist pattern that I like twice seems to be a bit of a theme. I made my self-drafted CC41 dress twice, details are here and here.

My CC41 dresses

I also have two versions of Butterick 2535, see here and here.

The pattern, and my two versions

I've only made Vogue 7422 once; possibly the effort of matching those stripes put me off making another!

If I made this again, it would be in plain fabric!

For this challenge I'm going to make another 1950s shirtwaist, Butterick 7729.

From 1956

I want to go with the bracelet sleeves of view B, but with the collar of view C for the shirtwaist look.

Combining these details

The fabric will be this rather jaunty cotton/viscose mix from my stash.

With a 6" rule for scale

Wish me luck!