introducing the tomigaya shirt dress sewing pattern

I’m so pleased to be able to introduce you to our three newest sewing patterns! The Tomigaya Shirt Dress, the Brunswick Jacket, and the Isola Blouse + Dress are all available in both paper and digital format, and I’ll be talking you through them in depth, one each day for the rest of the week. So let’s get started with the Tomigaya Shirt Dress, shall we?

It’s surprises me how consistently popular our button-down Classic Shirt sewing pattern (still available in paper and digital format because you like it so much!) has been over the years since we first released it. Many of you love the fit and the construction, which uses a some simple techniques to make it easier to sew the details. And many of you have sewn the pattern multiple times, which is great because I think it’s such a wardrobe essential. You could build an entire wardrobe of Classic Shirts in a variety of fabrics if you want!

Because the Classic Shirt has been such a popular pattern, I thought it would be fun to build on it and give you something really special based on it in the way of a shirt dress. So today it’s my pleasure to introduce one of our newest sewing patterns, the Tomigaya Shirt Dress!

This is no ordinary shirt dress. Like most shirt dresses, it can be dressed up or down, and you can sew it from a variety of fabrics to get many different looks from it. But this shirt dress is special because of the waistband, which features a series of casings, some of them with elastic and some without, and the center casing with a drawstring to help you cinch the waist tighter if you want. The result is a waistband that looks smocked (i.e. extra special), and the waist gives the dress instant shaping plus a really elegant line. And of course there there is the skirt, which is gathered and a little flared, but not dramatically so–just enough to keep it fun and comfortable. Not to mention that the dress is extremely comfortable with that elastic waistband!

I love the gathers at the back yoke and the many other details like the side pockets, the ruffled short sleeve (View B), and all the usual tailored details that also make the Classic Shirt so timeless: collar and collar band, tower plackets and sleeve cuffs (View A), the yoke and the front button plackets and the relaxed but flattering shaping.

I think it’s important that you can wear this style in so many different ways.  In addition to the ease of throwing on a shirt dress and instantly looking put-together, you can also build on it for a variety of different looks. For winter, add a pullover, a cardigan, or a blazer. Add a belt to give it more polish. Wear it with sandals in the summer or boots and tights in the winter. Roll up the long sleeves for a more casual look that’s also warm-weather friendly. Pair it with a sweatshirt and sneakers for a really casual look. You get the idea. And customize the pattern itself as you like: the skirt can be cut longer or shorter according to your preferences. I prefer my dresses longer, so I added length to the pattern for some of the versions I’ve sewn. If you prefer it shorter, that’s an easy change to make, too.

Like any good shirt dress, this one can be sewn in light- to medium-weight woven fabrics like cotton shirtings, flannel, or lawn as well as in linen, lightweight crepe, or drapey rayon. Your choice of fabric will change the look of the pattern, as I’ve tried to demonstrate in these photos. I used cotton double gauze, a stiff poly-cotton shirting, and regular cotton shirting for my samples. I’ll also show you another dress I sewed in linen (my favorite) in a few days.

You can pick up your own copy of the Tomigaya Shirt Dress in paper or in digital format. I hope you’ll tag us #lieslandco and #tomigayashirtdress so we can see what you do with this pattern. I’ll have additional examples to show you from our testers, and more styling and fabric inspiration as well, so stay tuned!