It’s a glorified MuuMuu and I LOVE IT.
Okay. So. Remember when I used to sew? Yeah, me either. I lost a lot of my interest in sewing in the latter half of last year, mainly because of the lack of patterns for plus sizes that I actually wanted to sew. As a plus size sewist that mostly makes vintage-style clothing, you’d think there was a plethora of patterns available for that sort of style, right? Well, there is, in a way — but the majority, if not all of them, require so much work. You get to a point of changing patterns so much that you might as well just do your own. And I’m relatively lazy. But in walks the Queen of Vintage Sewing, Gretchen Hirsch and Charm Patterns! And voila, Gertie’s Cinch-It Dress. Let’s go!
Plus Size Sewing Can Really Suck
As I mentioned above, sewing has felt almost impossible for me lately. As much as I want to create things, the effort that goes into making garments for myself has felt a bit too daunting to deal with. I’m a decent sewist, a bit slapdash at times, but ultimately I know 90% of what I’m doing. I’ve been sewing for 16 years at this point, so I kinda should know what I’m talking about/ doing with sewing by now. I specifically chose my university degree in a place that taught me to sew more than design. I’ve taken pattern-making classes, read books on fitting, listened to podcasts and lectures about sewing and techniques. Hell, I’ve even taught a few people how to sew. And I’ve taught one or two on how to make a pattern just for them. I got the skillz.
But can I be arsed to throw all of my knowledge on sewing and design into making a pattern for a casual sewing day? Fuck. No. Sometimes, I really just want someone else to have done the hard work. Just so I can just cut a thing out and sew it up in a few hours like other sewists do.
Plus Size Sewing Patterns DO Exist!
The larger your body is — and the more ‘non-traditional’ your proportions are (full busts, swaybacks, high backs, full hips and the like) the more difficult it becomes to find easy patterns to make up quickly. I took some on some feedback from sewing friends. And a little bit of general fangirl-love for Gertie of Charm Patterns / Gertie’s New Blog for Better Sewing fame. I knew I HAD to get on board with her new patterns. The honest-to-god thing that got me to try it out? Cup sizing options. If someone is literally thinking of patterns with sizing options outside the usual grading, a lot of the work has been done for you already.
Anyway. I MADE A THING. Gertie’s Cinch-It Dress came up at the end of February, and I pretty much bought it straight away. I used The Foldline to print the copyshop PDFs (I’m not about that PDF pattern piecing life), and I couldn’t recommend them more! So simple to upload your pattern, and they even come with a little pattern envelope! I think mine came in three days in total, so London Sewists, get on these guys for your A0 printing.
Gertie’s Cinch-It Dress
So. This dress is essentially a muumuu. It’s whole point is that it’s un-shaped, but either by in-pattern shirring or wearing a belt, it fits you perfectly. I wanted a quick project, and the loose version was perfect for a WFH dress that I can throw on and feel good in. I made this up in the size US22 in the D-H cup sizing. Although it’s absolutely fine, I think in another version I’d go down a size at least, since the bust is very roomy. You can see in some of these photos that the armscythe sits lower than my bra, too — which would be fixed with a size down, I reckon.
The version I made up was the easiest option — no sleeves, no shirring and the envelope pockets. And I couldn’t be happier, honestly. This will honestly be a dress I wear for years to come, since it’s just so easy to wear and pair with everything in my wardrobe.
Of course I used my well-used 1-inch Gingham for this project. It’s a cheap fabric (mine is from Dalston Mill) that behaves really well, looks good, and is easy to sew. I’m no fabric snob, so this polycotton works for me. It’s lined in some cheap polycotton from Pound-A-Metre which is a similar weight, it just adds a little opaqueness. Was the perfect dress to wear with my new Vendula London Daisy Garden Grab Bag! (Disclaimer; I work for Vendula)
It’s not a perfect sewing project, by any standards. The pattern-matching went horribly wrong. The hem’s a bit wonky. And the pockets are a bit too high for my personally. But I love it. I made it up in a day, roughly, and it was easy to put together all in all. Sometimes sewing doesn’t go right, but once that flat fabric turns into a 3D garment, that’s just enough to feel good about it.
What do you guys think about Gertie’s Cinch-It Dress and my version of it?
Let me know in the comments!
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