Blaire Shirt & Dress

5 reviews for Blaire Shirt & Dress

1. 

   5 out of 5

   Format Reviewed: Printed Pattern - Single-Size

   M*****n (verified owner) – May 4, 2023:

   I love this shirt – the layers allow for great variation and personal creative input. I have made 2 shirts and one dress. For the shirt I needed to add some length to the bottom of the upper bodice layer and the top of both the lower layers for both my personal figure and to maximize the effect of the design.
   As mentioned elsewhere, this is probably not a pattern for a beginner but, it was fun to put together and the finished products were wonderful. I had no problem with the collar. The pockets in the dress are practical and interesting. The size was perfect for me and I had to adjust only the length. Others may prefer a shorter shirt.

2. 

   5 out of 5

   Format Reviewed: Printed Pattern - Single-Size

   l**********1 (verified owner) – February 26, 2023:

   Love this pattern but quickly realised before I cut out that it would be very short so added a good 4” to length, I also had a slight problem with the collar fit and compensated by putting a small pleat in the nape of the neck, it worked very well , I’m about 5’ 6” and size 16 and over 70 so showing my tummy off isn’t an option hence alterations, have made it a second time very quickly omitting the under shirt and making it much longer, still love the pattern though

3. 

   4 out of 5

   Format Reviewed: PDF Digital Pattern - Single-Size

   c******2 (verified owner) – April 24, 2021:

   Love this style – have made both the dress and shirt versions in quick succession. It’s really economical fabric-wise as there is no separate sleeve. The curve of the shoulder seam is lovely and I’m a big fan of the small, neat collar. There’s a lot of ease in the pattern – my measurements put me at a size 12 but I sized down to a 10 for the dress and again to an 8 for the shirt and I’m very happy with it. Instructions are very scant so I wouldn’t recommend this to a beginner – I did have to do a fair bit of figuring out as I went. With both sews I did have to ease a lot of neckline into a much smaller collar but got there in the end.
   For the dress I made the pattern ‘as is’ but did change the shirt because I didn’t want to break up the large floral design of my fabric so cut the fronts and back in one piece (removing the overlay and dropping the curve of the hem by a few inches). I also made up a facing to finish the hem because the fabric is so lightweight (a cotton lawn) I felt a folded hem would not have looked great.

4. 

   3 out of 5

   Format Reviewed: PDF Digital Pattern - Multi-Size

   j************n (verified owner) – July 15, 2020:

   Cute design, but the directions leave a lot to be desired. The armband directions are confusing and say “see diagram”, yet there is no detailed diagram for the armbands (just a little arrow that says “sew cuff to armhole”), so I made it up as I went along. I definitely couldn’t understand what the directions were trying to describe with the missing diagram.

5. 

   4 out of 5

   Format Reviewed: PDF Digital Pattern - Single-Size

   C*****a (verified owner) – April 28, 2020:

   I made the top version of this in a striped fabric. It’s very eye-catching with the contrasting stripe direction. I wear it with jeans and short – it’s a good top for summer.

   I found the construction challenging, you definitely need to know how to work with bias binding to get the finish nice and neat on this one. I learned a lot and will be making it again in future.

Choosing your pattern size is the most important step and we will help you determine this with these easy to follow steps.

1. When taking your measurements ensure that you take them against your skin and not over clothing. One can wear a comfortable bra and knickers whilst measuring, as this will provide you with the most accurate measurements.
2. Tape measure has to sit firmly around the points you are measuring. But be careful not to pull it too tight, as this will give you the incorrect size.
3. When measuring circumferences (B, C, D, E) it is important to note that the tape measure must remain parallel to the floor. It is sometimes best to take the measurements in front of a mirror; this will help you see the angle of the tape measure.
4. You will only require the basic body measurements to determine your pattern size which is indicated on our mannequin below:

A. Shoulder Breadth

Place the tape at the edge of the shoulder. Measure along the top of the shoulder blade/across the highest point of the shoulders to the other edge, following the natural slope and allow an extra finger for ease of any movement.

B. Upper Arm Girth

This point is taken as a circumference at your widest point of your upper arm.

C. Bust

This point is taken as a circumference parallel to the floor at the fullest part of your chest.

D. Waist

This point is taken as a circumference and taken at the smallest part of your waist.

E. Hip

This point is taken as a circumference parallel to the floor at the widest part of your hips.