Hello, friends!
Here’s a dress that I’ve had finished for about a month now and worn several times already! Yes, I’m slow on the blog photos lately!
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The brand of this fabric is Elizabeth’s Studio and it’s mistakenly named “Tucson” and comes in other colorways
Initially, I was going to make McCall’s 6696, but as I placed my pattern pieces on my fabric, I couldn’t get the gathered skirt pieces to fit no matter how I moved them. I thought about making the straight skirt version, but I wanted a little fuller skirt than that. I planned on cutting the skirt from 6696 into gores when this pattern came out and I decided that would be less trouble and jumped right in!
Inspired by Andie, I did some contrasting with my collar and front band. I also did contrast topstitching. I didn’t take any detail shots as this dress has been in rotation since it came off my dressform, but here is a cropped photo showing some of the detail.
I was spot on with the creation of this dress until it got to the buttons… I always saw this fabric with western snaps and bought some from Wawak just to go with this dress. I usually ace button placement, but snap placement? I’m on the beginner level with that. This was my first time using snaps, so I got out my trusty snap tool given to me by my MIL and practiced on scrap fabric before I got the hang of it. Even though I marked my snap placement carefully on the band, it’s a little off…. I’ve figured out how to remove them with the snap tool, but not how to not ruin them when they’re removed and I was out of snaps. I also added some extra snaps on the bodice, and of course that showed off the bit of band bubbling more… I considered buying more snaps and redoing this, but it doesn’t bother me as much as I thought it would and at this point, I really don’t care. As long as the bodice doesn’t burst, I’m good.
As far as this pattern goes, this is an exceptional one. I have not yet sewn together the famed McCalls 6696 shirtdress (although I have it cut out), but this one is a pleasure to work with. With the princess seams you can adjust the fit and the v-collar is less buttoned up and not constricting. Plus, pockets! Yay! 🙂
I didn’t do any alterations to this dress other than grading it up. I used rayon seam binding on the armholes and a medium weight interfacing which was a little too thick for this dress, but I made it work.
I’m looking forward to making the godet version of this pattern. It looks like you could really play around with colors and contrasts with this. I really can’t wait to see more versions of this pattern and especially Andie’s wedding dress!!
Happy Sewing!
- Dress: McCalls 7084 in quilting cotton and cotton broadcloth, made by me
- Shoes: Swedish Hasbeens Debutantes
- Earrings/Bracelet: contemporary Dine (Navajo)
- Necklace: Icing
I don’t know how I missed this make! I just adore it sucker for yellow that I am, and the patterned fabric is totally fantastic as well. Plus the frock looks very comfortable. I’m just going to have to move past my unwillingness to make buttonholes/ sew buttons on and make a shirt dress already.
P.S.- These pics are really gorgeous of you. The smirky side-eye picture is one of my favorite of you ever!
I hang my head in shame for not being able to see past the stripes they used for their sample garment! It’s such a cute pattern, thanks for bring it to my attention!
I always look past the cheesy covers to the line drawings. 🙂
Loving this sooooo much! More proof that running into problems like not enough fabric can be just a jumping-off point for creativity and individuality! Bright yellow looks marvelous on you Tanya!
Thanks, Lorali! I’m loving yellow right now!
I love that even though you bought less fabric, you totally make it work! Necessity is the mother of invention after all! Huzzah!
Very true! I’m not sure why I bought such a low amount of yardage, but probably as I was also getting some expensive denim at the same time and didn’t want to spend too much!
Great dress. The printed fabric is lovely and I really like the fabric pairing. The snaps look fine in the picture. Love a dress with pockets 🙂
Thanks, Vanessa! Pockets are truly a necessity these days. I feel lost without them!
Such lovely use of the print fabric. I love this type of dress pattern too. Great job. Keep up the great sewing & posting.
Bonnie
Thank you, Bonnie! I’m making another shirt dress soon!
Beautiful! Love the contrast placket–looks fab.
Thanks, Qui! Definitely need to work on my snaps though!
I love this dress. The combination of fabrics is spot on and you look knock-out in yellow. I am badly in need of making a shirtdress too. This dress plus all the versions of M6696 I have seen have been brilliant. Lovely stuff. xx
Thank you! I’m really a fan of yellow at the moment! I have a 6696 cut out, too. I can’t wait to see how that is after all the hype.
I love this!!!!!!!
Thanks, L’Anne!
Cute, cute! And so summery. I have so many novelty prints that I have been hoarding, I really need to start making something up with them. This is the perfect inspiration.
Thanks, Megan! I like patterns like this with Gore’s and/or princess seams that let you play around with fabrics.
This is so, so cute! I’d only seen versions of this with the fuller/gored skirts, and as a full-but-not-super-full skirt person myself, it’s nice to see that the A-line version looks good, too. I love your fabric choice, too. I don’t know if you watch Mad Men, but Peggy wore a shirtdress a similar contrast placket scheme a few weeks ago!
For the un-Mad Men among us (or Mad Men-ed but forgot): Peggy’s shirtdress of contrast:
Peggy has been wearing quite a few shirt dresses this season!
I’m more of a fuller skirt person, but I like changing it up sometimes. I do remember that dress Peggy was wearing and I was watching her sit down and saw the button placket pop up and thought how it wasn’t just me that happens to!
I love your dress! You look gorgeous in yellow and the print is fantastic. The contrast on the collar and button band is perfect. I’m glad to have inspired that. 😀
Thanks, Andie! Yep, you’re certainly an inspiration!