Sew: Gertie’s Jane Set Bustier {Two Piece Dress}

I had been dreaming of a two piece dress & the Jane bustier was perfect. I sometimes feel strangled in dresses, a stretchy back is so comfy. I love two piece dresses, all the matchy matchy with the versatility of separates. I was so excited that this fabric has Halloween vibes but the scale of the print makes it workable anytime. It was cheap so I bought enough to make the bustier twice if I needed but I lucked out and got it right the first time! 

Pattern & sizing info: 

Includes a bustier, shorts, capri pants, a sarong, and strap options for a total of 48 potential outfits! Make a sexy jumpsuit, a cute retro playsuit, or separates

Sizes 2 to 16 with B to DD cup sizes

Authentic vintage construction with steel boning and built-in braIncludes a 40-page instruction book. Choose your own adventure with multiple finishing options

I made the bustier up in the 16 DD as per the measurement chart. The fit was actually spot on, which was a pleasant surprise and probably helped by the elastic back. I downloaded mine as a PDF from Charm Patterns.

Fabric info: 

I found this cute bone print quilting cotton on sale at Spotlight for $6/m and thought it would make an excellent wearable muslin. I am super happy with how cute the fabric looks made up. I used some very lightweight cotton drill for the collar, straps & bra section and because I used elastic instead of shirring, I lined the back with a thin black poplin. Both black fabrics were from stash. 

Pattern alterations or design changes:

I had a good rummage around online to check out other Jane set makes and noticed that stand alone bustiers sat much higher that those that were part of a romper. I mean duh, the pants would stop the top riding up. I wanted my version to be longer, so I added 3” length at the lengthen/shorten line straight away. It was a good call because the bra section is stops over my breasts and doesn’t make it to my underwire. Which means it would have been more of a bra top if I hadn’t added length. The bustier only just tucks inside my skirt waistband, which is perfect. 

My sewing machine is a Brother and refuses to shirr! Also, I’m not overly keen with how shirring feels on the skin or how the shirring can just die after a bit of wash and wear. My solution was elastic channels. I made a lining back piece, faced right sides together with the main back piece and stitched along the top and bottom. I flipped the tube right side out and pressed and stitched channels 5/8” apart using guide foot. I added 1/2” elastic to every other channel and followed the rest of the instructions.

I used plastic boning in the bra, which still gave a pleasingly pointy effect. I didn’t bone the sides because the elastic made for a firm fit and going strapless was not a problem.

Thoughts:

I am over the moon with how well this turned out! That bustline and collar are perfectly shaped. It looks fabulous, even better in real life. I got so many compliments from strangers it was getting awkward. I made a matching half circle skirt and Mr Ask 3D printed a bone for me to wear in my hair. 

The bra didn’t do a lot for me but I wasn’t expecting that it would, my bust needs more heavy duty support. I do think it has value, the boning creates a very vintage silhouette. 

Charm patterns does not disappoint! Great instructions and fitting info and so many options. There is also a sew along hosted by Gertie if you need more info. The pattern went together perfectly and everything made sense. Would recommend. 

Would I make it again? 

Absolutely! It’s a beautiful design and doesn’t use a lot of fabric. It is a bit time intensive with the elastic channels but I’m happy to put in the effort for the results. I have some other sewing plans in the immediate future but there will definitely be more Jane bustiers in my future.