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Kaylee's Alder + Archer Plaid-tastic Dress

Grainline Studio has a fantastic lineup of patterns and I love them all. The directions are detailed and include pictures when needed. Both the Alder Shirtdress and the Archer Button Up are lovely patterns by themselves, so this mashup of the Alder Dress + Archer Sleeves really is a sewists dream.

Pattern: Alder Shirtdress + Archer Button Up Variation by Grainline Studio (tutorial here)
Materials: 3.25 yards Robert Kaufman Mammoth Flannel in Adventure, 15- 1/2” buttons, lightweight fusible interfacing
Size made: 12
Modifications: Added 2 extra buttons to the button band

This summer I made my first Alder Shirtdress and basically lived in it. It is the perfect casual dress, but it has so many great details that make it feel special and give it a very professional look and feel. The only downfall is that because it is sleeveless I can't wear it in winter. Luckily, Jen from Grainline Studio has a fantastic tutorial on how to make an Alder + Archer variation where you add the full-length Archer shirt sleeves to the Alder Shirtdress. It requires a bit more work than just cutting out the pattern pieces for the arms, but the instructions are easy to follow and it is totally worth the effort!

When we got the luxurious, and super reasonably priced Robert Kaufman Mammoth Flannel in, I knew it would make the perfect fall Alder. The mammoth flannel has a really nice, substantial feel when you sew with it, but it still feels like a cozy blanket when you wear it.

The only alteration I made was adding 2 extra buttons to the button band to make it look a bit more full. It is definitely not necessary for the functionality of the dress, I just preferred the look. I also included 2 buttons on each sleeve cuff, also just for looks. I used a polka-dot bias tape to finish the hem of the dress.

My fall dress dreams truly became a reality with this dress!

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