For having a social media account dedicated to sewing clothes, my closet is pretty modest.

I have a handful of button downs planned for the coming months and decided to start things off with the Genra Shirt from Daughter Judy Patterns. The pattern is relatively new and already there are a ton of inspiring versions on Instagram. There aren’t as many of the long view, but I immediately envisioned this as both a dress and a sweeping overshirt.

Admittedly, I was somewhat daunted by the prospect of making this pattern. My first version had been sitting on my sewing table—fully cut and interfaced—for over a month. A whole lot of thought and planning went into this phase, so I assumed that sewing the thing would be similarly onerous. But it was not.

As soon as Melody of Soften Studio released her latest pattern, the Lea Bias Dress, I made the purchase. The dress looked like the perfect versatile basic and I imagined sewing it up in my favorite mid-weight linen.

Making a short sleeve button down for my husband was on my to-do list for over a year. After finding the perfect fabric and a promising pattern, I finally began.