Spring is in the Air And a Couple More Shirtwaist Offerings!

Walled Garden in the Springtime
Helen Allingham

There is an inspiring  freshness when we see the new growth after the winter's chill.  The colors seem more vibrant and there is an eagerness to enjoy the new season ahead.  God's works shout out in the springtime with a glorious array of color and beauty.

Source

This is an wonderful time to gather new ideas and freshen the spring transitional wardrobe that has been sitting idle since the cold Fall and Winter weather.

I have perused a few of the new spring patterns from the major 4 sewing pattern catalogs.  I am always encouraged to see a version of the shirtwaist dress for the new year's entries.  I mentioned previously Simplicity's entry in 8014 in this post.  It is a simple dress with bodice options and varying skirt lengths.  Just be sure to keep your knees covered as it is so much more flattering to the figure.  It is a graceful and feminine look. 

Butterick 6333 has princess seam lines  that run from the shoulder down.  I like these for fitting as it is difficult to get a proper fit with a princess seam that emanates from the sleeve opening.

Butterick  6333

Lengthening the sleeves and skirt a bit makes it usable for transitional season clothing with consideration of fabric weight.

McCalls 7351 offers another classic approach to the shirtwaist with the various skirt types.  Personally, the squared corners remind me of table cloth re-purposing and they are more of a fad than classic looks.  The dipped-look skirts (?) as in the denim style dress below are also a fad. To make it more flattering as it is A-line, just make it the same length all around. The skirts can be lengthened or you may have a favorite skirt pattern that you could replace the given pattern with.  Make sure that your waist measurements match with the bodice on the pattern.

McCalls 7351