McCalls 6713 x2

 This was the last thing I made before taking my sewing machine to the doctor.  The problem with things electronic is that you can't fix them yourself.  Hopefully it's just a dirty sensor as the doctor thinks, but since I haven't heard from him yet - well fingers crossed.  The good news is that I have a back up machine and sewing *will* happen over my 4-day weekend. 

This is the second version of McCalls 6713 - this time with the flounce.  The brown spotty version was the 'muslin' for this fabric.  And honestly - that brown dress has become a favorite and while I hate wearing the same clothes often - I've already worn it twice! 

This fabric was a very lightweight, but heavy (if that makes sense - and if you sew you know what I mean) knit.  I would guess that even if you don't sew you have some items of clothing that are very thin, but the fabric itself is heavy.  Anyway - because of that it stretched and hung different that the more stable brown spotty fabric. 

Again - no changes to the pattern, I just cut it out and sewed it up - mostly on the serger - remember, my machine wasn't playing nice. 

I cut the flounce in a single layer, rather than the self-lined and instructed in the pattern.  I felt this would be okay because the back of the fabric is a nice grey (is it grEy or grAy?)  and if it was visible it would be okay.  I chose to leave the edges of the flounce raw and unfinished as it's a knit and won't ravel and I didn't want the added bulk of another layer at my waist were everything is joined. 

I wore the dress with red pumps, red cardigan and red jewelry.  JB was less than impressed with this make.  He couldn't really verbalize what was different, but he said it looked more casual than my other dresses.    Looking at the photos - it's not nearly as cute as I thought it was when I left the house in the morning. 

The one major 'fix' was to serge a dart out of the center back.  Umm - yea - seriously.  When I first put this dress on, there was about 3" of extra fabric at the center of my back.  Remember - light but heavy fabric.  The back is cut on the fold, the neckline was already finished and it looked horrible.  Possibly a belt could have saved it - but it honestly needed some sort of adjustment to the back to make it fit.  So I folded the dress in half at the skirt center back seam, laid my french curve down on the dress marking about 1 1/4" at the waist seam - down about 5" and all the way up to the neckline but not through it.  I then took it to the serger, said a little prayer and serged with the left needle on the chalk line.  Let out breath, try dress on and the back fits!  Win!! 

Another Winner

Last weekend I stopped into Joanns to purchase some Vogue patterns on sale.  I happened to take a quick looks at the McCalls book as they were on sale as well.  I've recently had very good luck with Simplicity, McCalls and Vogue patterns.  And while I try to emulate Carolyn and use the same pattern over and over - I do get bored and want to try something new.  McCalls 6713 caught my eye and came home with me. 

During the past week - I was rearranging the fitness room as some of my sewing equipment - Lou, my hem marker and the full length mirror got relocated out of the fitness room due to a new piece of equipment.  I happened to lift the lid on a large rubbermaid bin and find a lovely stash of fabric.  This piece of cotton jersey happened to be in that stash.  It had enough stretch and was perfect to sample this pattern.  I traced the pattern with the only alterations being to shorten the back bodice by 2".  I'm really, really short from my neck to my waist in the back - 15 1/2".  See, really short!  I also cut the front skirt piece in 2 equal pieces with a seam down the center front.  I thought about cutting it on the fold, but the grainline didn't run parallel to the center front.  So - I cut 2 pieces.  Finally I added 3" of length to all the skirt pieces.  

For this version I didn't want the drape as my cotton jersey was a bit heavy.  I also didn't line the bodice for a couple of reasons 1.) I didn't have enough fabric and b.) my fabric was a bit heavy. 



Can you see the gathers?

Construction was fast and easy.  The most time consuming part was cutting - and I had to cut the right front twice.  When cutting pattern pieces out single layer it's important to make sure the same side of the pattern piece is facing up - otherwise you either flip the pieces or you have one piece where the wrong side is showing.  Thankfully I had enough fabric left to cut another right front.  That slowed the sewing down a bit. 

I wore this dress to work yesterday and it was comfortable and twirly.  I have another double sided jersey on my cutting table and have the cut on fold pieces cut already.  Version #2 will have the drape with the wrong side showing.  Now to get it cut.  Hopefully another new dress before the week is out.