McCalls 6200 Green Swirl Dress

Size: 8/10

Fabric: Rayon jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics

Boots: Nine West

Earrings: M Style Lab

I really wasn’t sure how this pattern was going to turn out.  I’m so apprehensive about dresses that are “shaped” with a tie-belt: they can be hit or miss in the fit department.  I’ll either love how it drapes and feel super cute and chic in it, or it could be a giant sack and feel like I’m wearing a muumuu.  I’m also not a huge fan of line drawings on a pattern envelope since it’s an ideal representation of the pattern and not a realistic interpretation of how it will truly fit.  But I thought heck, I’ll give this pattern a shot.  At the least, I could make it into a swingy top if I don’t like the dress.

1) Sizing

This pattern was a breeze to sew and went together in a matter of hours.  I chose to do View A with the swingy sleeves to bring out the 70’s vibe of my fabric.  I did my usual adjustments from bodice to waist, but went down a size in each of these areas: instead of cutting my usual 10/12, I cut out an 8/10.  These dresses always seem to have so much ease and I didn’t need this being any larger than necessary.  I would strongly advise going down a size in this pattern, I still had room to spare.

2) The Sleeves and Side Seams 

I also ignored setting the sleeve in and sewed the sleeve cap in flat using staystitch plus, and then sewed the sleeve seam down through the side seam in one fell swoop.

The neckband was a little fussy and I wasn’t crazy about hand sewing the facing to the inside by hand, but it went together ok.  I’m really glad there was interfacing for the neckband since it’s so wide to begin with and it really prevents it from stretching out even further.  The only thing to be aware of is that if the neckline doesn’t lay across correctly, it will buckle and gape in the back.  I also had to adjust my bra straps during the day since they kept showing due to the wideness of the neckband.  Maybe lingerie straps wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

4) The Hem

I shortened the hem more than what the pattern called for so that it would look proportionally correct with my boots.  The drawing shows the hem hitting at the knee, which didn’t look right on me, so I took the dress up about two inches to get the correct effect.

This is a really easy, basic pattern that would be an excellent pick for a jersey with a large print.  I could definitely see making this dress with different sleeve options, maybe incorporating the tie in to the side seams and having it tie in a bow at the back, or using contrasting fabrics for the neck and tie-belt.  This pattern is definitely a staple to have in your pattern arsenal.