Over the Christmas holidays I found time to make a couple of garments but didn’t quite get around to blogging them. One was Cynthia Rowley 2215, which I’ve used previously to make this shirt. Since that make, I’ve managed to somehow avoid making anything with buttons, and, as I’ve loved pretty much every Cynthia Rowley pattern I’ve made (see here, here, and here) it seemed like the ideal project to dip my toe back into buttons and button holes.

  The fabric was a deep raspberry denim with a bit of stretch that I had come across in a Minerva sale. I think it was around £3pm. As the bodice is lined, I used some checked cotton left over from when I attempted a vintage dress that became a top. I tend to use offcuts or leftover bits of fabric for   lining like this, but then I wonder if I should use more solid colours – not something I generally have in my stash. I chose 4 buttons gifted to me last Christmas by Nat.

  I cut all of the pattern pieces out and then set it to one side for quite a few weeks. I have no idea why, typically I’m not one to leave UFO’s languishing. I think in the interim I sewed up some quicker makes and Christmas items. Once I settled back to this make it did come together pretty quickly. I found the button holes tricky so hope to make more buttoned garments soon to try and conquer them for once and all. I hand stitched the buttons into place.

  Upon trying on, I found the bodice to be too wide under the arms. As it’s lined and I hadn’t made a toile, I just moved the seams in, twice, until I was happy with the fit. I had inserted a small zip at the side as instructed by the pattern, which made successfully moving the seam in on that side fairly tricky. I’m not that happy with the appearance of the zip, but I don’t tend to dwell on it as most of the time it’s covered by my arm! Plus, it turned out that I didn’t even need the zip – I can get it on and off by undoing the buttons.

 I’ve worn this dress a lot already, mostly with a long sleeved checked shirt beneath. I’ve worn it to school and at weekends. I have also bought some chambray to make another to try and improve the fit of the bodice and to develop my button ability.  I have several more Cynthia Rowley patterns in my stash, and have also spotted at least one new one in the Spring 2016 Simplicity Collection. Have you tried any of her patterns?