A surprised Heather!
A very surprised Heather!
By my very personal photographer!
By an automated camera phone (impersonal):
The dress courtesy of McCall's 8700 from 1967. Imagine a 40 year old design that is wearable today!
Pattern Description:
Sleeveless dress or jumper, lightly fitted by princess seaming in front and vertical back darts, and front buttoned blouse with long set-in sleeves. Dress or jumper, with arm-faced holes and faced and interfaced neck, has center back zipper and may have pleats and underlays in front. I sewed the dress with the pleats and underlays.
Pattern Sizing:
Size 16, bust 36 (vintage sizing)
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes (those camera phones can distort somebody's proportions!), except the models do not have a real-life figure! Check out their legs!
Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes. They were sufficiently clear and the overall illustrations were very helpful, particularly for attaching the underlay to the edges of the seam, below the waist. Although I thought this sewed like a basic sheath dress, I took my time to read and follow the instructions, especially for attaching the triangular underlays to the edges of the hand-basted seams that will later give way to the front pleats. After sewing the underlays, I removed the hand bastings, and voila, instant pleats with the underlay peaking underneath! The slight stiffness of the fabric allowed the pleats forming easily.
The pattern also called for hand-basting the princess seams and the back of the dress prior to inserting the center zipper. I thought that the hand basting was necessary to keep the princess seams together prior to the final stitching and due to the fabric not having much ease.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I like the sleeveless and princess seaming style that flatters all figure types (especially post-baby ones!). There was nothing to dislike.
Fabric Used:
Funky and weird looking floral fabric that was used to create a blouse. I thought that this fabric was better suited for the dress. The style of the dress balances out the harshness of the fabric.
Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
I omitted the interfacings due to the nature of the fabric. I shortened the length by about 3" to make it just above my knee, as illustrated.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes! There might be current styles similar to this pattern. A change of fabric and embellishments can make this dress more formal. I would recommend this or similar patterns for those who like a piece that is both fun to wear and straightforward to make!
Conclusion
My daughter and I recently visited my parents who lives 10 minutes away from us. My mom asked me where I "bought" this dress. I told her that I made it and it overall cost well under $10 (fabric, zipper, and pattern). I was surprised that she did not comment on my bizarre fabric choice because she loves fashion and can be very critical! But then, she had probably seen such outrageous prints during that swinging decade. I was very flattered when she said "You should sew more of those!" I became more inspired! Thanks, mom! Lesson learned? Find and adhere to something that works well!
This heart warming pose says it all! Don't worry, be happy!
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