Sewing pattern detectives - come hither!

[childwrangler]

If you needed a day/ work dress that covered your cleavage, your knees and had sleeves - what would you sew?! Need to be able to sew in a natural, breathable fabric.

Teacher based in Middle East, it's about to get astronomically hot outside (but we'll still have playground duty). Due to the air conditioning it will be glacial inside!

I'm hoping to carve a bit of sewing time out in the holidays...

Have a look at Merchant and Mills website. They have several loose easy to wear dresses. I'm just about to start The Camber set but plan to add longer sleeves. I've cut it out and it looks like it will be just below my knees ( I'm 5 ft 7 ) though it looks shorter in the picture. None of their patterns have zips or openings either which appeals to me.

I think I'd buy a load of long sleeve cotton blouses with the right neckline and then make short (wide) sleeved long tunic and shift dresses to go over in some lightweight cotton, and line them (the skirt part at least) so they don't ride up too high, and were not see-through.

Have a look at the ruby and washi dress here: made-by-Rae.com

Do the needs need to be full length?
What about a bamboo jersey and a version of the Monetta by Colette
Merchant Mills the Union in a cotton/linen mix?
Something like this? sewdirect.co.uk/acatalog/M6464.html
A couple of shirt dresses
sewdirect.co.uk/acatalog/McCalls-7084.html
This shirt dress is nice to make up
www.johnlewis.com/simplicity-lisette-dresses-bag-sewing-pattern-2246/p1171290?imageCount=1
www.simplicitynewlook.com/simplicity-patterns/dresses/1459/#.VRhTb_nF-R4

I have made this one up quickly a few times and there is a longish sleeve
www.simplicitynewlook.com/simplicity-patterns/dresses/2444/#.VRhUCfnF-R4
Have you considered wrap dresses? sewdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Butterick-6128-B6128.html
or there is a nice Vogue one
This style in linen sewdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Kwik-Sew-3704.html

And I will stop now

Sleeves just need to cover the shoulder so anything cap sleeve or longer is suitable.

I need to do some thinking! I think relatively simple shift dress night be the way to start. I love shirt dresses but don't think I'll have the time- they're a bit more complex than anything I've attempted.

Seen as there have been so many ideas - anyone fancy a trouser pattern challenge? Online patterns would give me something to start on quickly while I wait for snail mail too deliver anything paper!

I made M&M camber set dress today, lovely well thought out pattern, came out a bit bigger than I expected but fine, although I will make a smaller size next time. I did French seams everywhere and reduced the binding to ? of its size as it looked big.

I would recommend it, the sleeves went in perfectly without any effort on my part.

I liked it so much I ordered their book. Did you order anything from there OP?

the colette laurel (wovens) and moneta(knits). you'd. have to lengthen both but it wouldn't look wrong in either shape. I'm a teacher and I can show my knees but otherwise have similar requirements. I am eying up the Decades everyday Decades of Style E.S.P dress, just haven't ordered it yet.