Pattern Review: McCall’s 6552 [Linen Beach Cover-up]

Pattern: McCall’s 6552
Fabric: Linen/cotton print from Joann’s (clearance section!)
Size: Small

Location: Ogunquit Beach, Ogunquit, ME

The impracticality of this pattern for everyday wear did not dawn on me until I sat down at my computer to order fabric for the dress.  It should have been pretty obvious to me immediately, considering that the picture of the model shows the neckline of this pattern plunging down past where one’s bra band would be (of course, she is clearly not wearing a bra in the picture).  I pushed this pattern to the end of my pattern queue until recently, when I decided I wanted to make a new cover-up for the beach to take on vacation to Maine…hmm…perfect!  Who cares about a low-low neckline when you have a swimsuit on?

Following the measurements on the envelope and picking the size that corresponded to me the closest, I cut out a size Small.  In actuality I could have made an Extra Small to get a fit that wasn’t so billowy since there is a lot of ease, but it worked out ok in the end and I didn’t really mind the extra gathered fabric around the waist.  I shortened the length of the pattern by quite a lot and toyed with the idea of shortening the sleeves, but I left them as is.

What’s cool about this pattern is that it’s made up of three major pieces: the skirt front, skirt back, and then the bodice piece, which folds over the shoulders and connects at the waist.  The construction was super quick to stitch together and could have gone together in one night if I didn’t have to get up so early for work the following day.  The casing for the drawstring is sewn in a way I like the best: the seam allowance of the skirt/bodice is pressed up towards the bodice and stitched down in place.  This pattern was also a good refresher of my button-hole skills since it’s been a long time since I’ve sewn some!

It was perfect to wear to the beach during the week, especially on cooler, windy days when I didn’t want to wear my sleeveless cover-up, but it also was just as comfortable on some of the hotter days on the beach thanks to the linen fabric.  I’d make another one of these next year for beach season, maybe with the short sleeves or sleeveless in a knit fabric.  If you’re looking to make a cover-up like this but want more coverage, check out Coco’s adaptation of the bodice piece – I love how she redrafted it to be more modest and practical.

The only other thing I can think of making out of this pattern is a swanky dressing gown to go over a nightie, and maybe sashaying around my apartment wearing it with a wine glass in hand.  Hmm, not a shabby idea…