Shirt to Dress: OOP McCall's 7546, Vogue 8934 and Vogue 1503

Sometimes you come across a shirt pattern that has design details that you just want to rework into a shirtdress.  That is how I feel about out-of-print (OOP) McCall's 7546. This is the third shirtdress I've made with this pattern.  Would you believe I've never used this pattern as it was designed?  And I have some fun 100% cotton fabric that I found in the home décor department a while back for this latest version.  It's the perfect weight for a shirt, or in this case a shirtdress.  

  

First, there were a few changes made to the pattern design in addition to adjusting the length.  I've made this with view A, added side pockets from Marcy Tilton's Vogue 8934 and swapped the sleeve, sleeve placket and cuff pattern pieces with Rachel Comey's Vogue 1503.  

I'm going to pause here and recommend an article from the September 2019 issue of Threads Magazine (No. 204).  Stephani L. Miller wrote a wonderfully detailed account of how to adjust a shirt pattern into a fabulous shirtdress in the article "Shirt to Dress:  Get Extended Benefits From Your Favo[u]rite Blouse Pattern."

One thing that I will note, is that I rarely use the button placement given on a pattern.  Unless, it's a men's shirt.  Never, if it is something for myself.  Do you?  I know that I'm no where the height of a pattern model, it's just best that I try the garment on and then go from there.  And that is basically what Miller suggests in the "Shirt to Dress" article.  Her tip for customizing the button placement for a full bust, find the apex level and then work from there.  I think it's a great suggestion for all shapes not just for full busts.  I find that pattern designs are often mimicking RTW clothes and in this current moment of economic austerity and fast-fashions, RTW designs are not generous with buttons.  That's what I find so rewarding with sewing my own shirt dress, I can sew as many buttons as my heart desires.

The buttons were a mixture of two different sets.  For the cuffs I used the black and white two-hole buttons that I found in my button collection.  They were perfect for the print, however there were only five.  The buttons hidden in the front placket are a four-hole black button that I found at Northwest Fabrics for a dollar.  They were perfect and a bargain.  Ten buttons were used in the front placket and four used for the cuffs.  There were enough of the four-hole solid black buttons for all the buttons needed.  However, I really like how the black and white buttons looked with this print and since they were the only buttons that are exposed when wearing this garment, I thought why not go ahead and use them.

Cutting the buttonholes took some serious tools considering the thickness of the interfaced front placket.  I used a 9 mm buttonhole cutter, a hammer and a chopping block.

The Stats

Fabric:  3 metres

Interfacing:  1.2 metres fusible

Buttons:  14

Needle:  Universal needle for the sewing machine

Patterns:  McCall's 7546, Vogue 8934 and Vogue 1503

Additional Supplies & Tools:  Cutting table, scissors, pins, pin cushions, tailor's chalk, measuring tape, ruler, measuring gauge, thread clippers, tweezers, serger, sewing machine, buttonhole foot, threads (100% silk thread for hand stitching, 100% cotton thread for machine sewing and Gutterman serger thread), walking foot, screwdriver, buttonhole cutter, cutting board, hammer, a few breaks here and there, a whole lot of procraftination, and coffee.