This is my Christmas dress this time around. McCalls M6833 view B. I made it with something that I assume is quilting cotton. I would never use quilting cotton for a shirt, but for a dress such as this one, it's perfect as it has enough body to hold its shape a bit.
So that the hem had a little more oomph I sewed some horsehair braid onto it. It did the trick! This pattern has an integral net petticoat as part of the dress lining itself. As I wanted the option to use the petticoat with other garments I chose to line only the top part of the dress and make the petticoat separately, which worked really well.
As usual I hand sewed the zip in, as I like a bit more control over matching the waist seams and making sure the back neck edges match, which I find a little more difficult when machining the zip in.
I love all the hand sewing! I find inserting the zip and then hand sewing the lining to it very satisfying.
I will definitely be making view D in the future. I already have the fabric:
There is only one thing I will change for the next version and that is that the neckline will have to be higher. I'm not a particularly modest dresser but this neckline is about as low as it gets. In all of the rest of my Christmas photos my underwear is clearly on show! That's okay for a party dress but I intend for my next version to be more wearable.
This looks great on you! I love the orange zip!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. I like the zip too!
DeleteWhat a lovely dress! I would be making all the views, it looks so flattering! I love your choice of fabric and the one you´ve chosen for the next dress is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Alice!!!
Thank you Merche and a happy year to you, too!
DeleteI would like to make the sun dresses too, so I suppose that includes all the views!
What a cute dress - it's clever of you to make the petticoat separate, so you can wear it with other things. I don't know where you get the patience for hand sewing... I am always trying to find shortcuts to machine sew!
ReplyDeleteThanks Melissa. With hand sewing I like to sit and listen to music or do it in front of the tv. I suppose it's a bit like knitting.
DeleteHappy New Year Alice! You look so lovely in this dress, it's so pretty! And view D is definitely going to be amazing! I wish you the best for 2014!
ReplyDeleteThanks Pauline! I'm looking forward to making view d but I have to exhaust my sudden passion for making shirts first!
DeleteYour fabric is so fun and colorful! I'm making the version with the same bodice and straight skirt and was hoping for your feedback on the fit. It seems to have considerably less ease than usual in McCall's, so I was planning to size up. Also I'm afraid the boob darts will come out pointy, what was your experience?
ReplyDeleteHi there
DeleteThanks for your comments.
Gosh, I can't really remember how the sizing compared to other patterns, but I do remember taking in the side seams a little after the dress was finished. I did want a close fit. With regard to the darts, yes they are very pointy! I adjusted them by hand, again it was after the dress was finished.
What fabric is this please? It is beautiful & the dress looks stunning on you x
ReplyDelete