Pattern:
McCalls 6460
Fabric:
2.5 yards wool/silk rayon floral print rayon from Vogue Fashion Fabrics
.5 yards of navy blue ponte knit - Fabric Mart
Notions:
22" blue invisible zipper
2 yards blue bemberg lining
Construction:
I don't like the finished dress. It doesn't fit as well as I thought it would. I'm sure it's operator error but there's pulling at the raglan sleeves that I don't like and have no desire to fix. I've already reworked the sleeves to make them bigger for my bodacious biceps and changed up the neckline so that it would lay closer to my chest and back...it's good enough...not perfect...not amazing...just good enough...and I'm okay with that.
A few more things...
- The pattern goes up to a size 22 and I added additional space by using my TNT pattern as the body for the dress.
- There is a dart in the top of the original raglan sleeve pattern that left a funny bump at the dart tip...that was one of the issues with the original sleeve pattern.
- I did have to add that dart back in but I did it by making a larger stitch in the seam allowance...the seam that I added to the sleeve pattern to add width for my biceps.
- I only used the side darts in the dress omitting the center front darts.
- The rayon fabric is underlined because it was light and sheer. I wanted to build up the fabric a little and insure that it was no longer see thru.
- The sleeve and dress hems are machine stitched. I honestly didn't care about quality by this point. I just wanted to move this from the UFO category to being finished.
- My daughter and my Mom like the dress and I did sit around in it for about an hour so it was comfortable to wear...
Earrings: Judith Ripka
Necklace: Honora Pearls
Shoes: Jessica London
Back View
I have to honestly say that I don't recommend this pattern. I like the styling but the finished dress is just okay.
P.S. ~ Parting Shot - me and my oldest grandson!!! He will be 11 at the end of the month.
...as always more later!
I have to say that before I read your post, my first thought was that the dress is very flattering!!!
ReplyDeleteSorry you're not wild about the dress, it's very flattering to you.
ReplyDeletethe dress is cute, sorry it didn't work out. Jappy birthday to your grandson.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to be disagreeable with you...but I think that you look great in this dress! But, I understand that what matters is how you feel in the dress. The fabric is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lyndsey and Nancy, the dress looks great on you!
ReplyDeleteReally love these colors on you!
ReplyDeleteNothing original to say but I too love that color on you!
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, I think this dress is just gorgeous on you -- maybe after you have some distance from the struggle of bringing it into the world, you'll warm up to it?
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with the others, the dress is very flattering. It looks lovely on you.
ReplyDeleteYou may not be in love with it but it looks FAB on you. BTW. Guess who's going to be at NY PR weekend??
ReplyDeleteI think you look gorgeous in this dress.. Isn't it funny that sometimes the things/ clothes, hairstyles we hate, others like? I notice it often.
ReplyDeleteI, too, was thinking, what a pretty and flattering dress, then I saw your comment about not liking it. The solid blue raglan sleeves are great with the floral print. All floral would have been too much, I think.
ReplyDeleteUh oh...I have the fabric and pattern ready to go for this one. To me it looks like your sleeves are a little too roomy for you.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I am glad I'm looking thin these days, but I'm over 20 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight. These last 20 pounds have been a nightmare.
Pretty fabric! Too bad the pattern isn't working for you... Don't you hate when something looks good but you can't move in it?
ReplyDeleteI know you don't like this dress, but it looks so great on you! The color is gorgeous on you,simply gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteSad that you don't like the dress - I think it looks fantastic. Particularly love how you have a pattern with plain sleeves. I am not bold enough to be adventurous yet. I love the colours.
ReplyDeleteShame about the dress just not be right. It looks good in the pictures, but small annoyances in fit often are hard to see in a photo. I love the idea of contrasting raglan sleeves.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the other commenters...this dress looks gorgeous on you. The colour is amazing.
ReplyDeleteIn a side note...he's a very handsome boy.
Ooo! Oooo! Oooo! I have that fabric! I sewed a blouse with it during my blogging hiatus and never got the chance to show and tell. Since I know the fabric intimately, it's easy for me to imagine it as a dress. I think it's looks good on you, but if you're not satisfied, then the rest of us must be wrong!
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with the other comments - the dress actually looks great on! The combination of the pattern with plain sleeves is very flattering. Hard to tell from the photos re the sleeve problems.
ReplyDeleteRavs.
I think that the dress looks amazing on you!
ReplyDeleteThe fit might not be perfect but the color is fantastic, really flattering!
ReplyDeleteI always have to play with darts on raglan sleeves, they always leave a bump as designed.
Happy birthday to your grandson, he is as photogenic as his grandmother!
I'm sorry the dress isn't to your liking but like others, I have to say the colors are extremely flattering to you.
ReplyDeleteI'm with your Mom and daughter I like this dress on you. My oldest grandson turned eleven this month.
ReplyDeleteSorry you don't love your dress. I agree with others, the colors are lovely on you. Thank you so much for sharing your not quite successes. When I have something that's not working, it's comforting to remind myself that not even Carolyn loves everything she makes.
ReplyDeleteLove the colors, is it a pretty dress.
ReplyDeleteI have a sweater I just about hate, but I get compliments every time I wear it. So I keep it.
You are so beautiful that you make an "ok" dress look stunning! I'm not a fan of raglan sleeves for myself, but after seeing this dress I might try it. It really does look nice on you. The floral print is a very pretty fabric! I need to find your post about where to fabric shop, I think you wrote about that a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry the fit isn't where it needs to be, however, the colors and the dress do look good on you.
ReplyDeleteMarie
Just ok is also good; although we all disagree with you. It would be interesting to know how many wadders the top designers have!
ReplyDeleteYour grandson is one handsome kid!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you aren't so happy with your dress, but I think it is beautiful and looks perfect on you!!!
I would also feel like the dress is good not great - it's something about the fabric mix for me - but still, when I opened it I exclaimed "how cute"! I think the pattern and colors are bright and fun. I really like the raglan sleeves - it makes me want one of my own. Wine-colored body and red sleeves. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletefruitbat
Great dress Carolyn! And I love the shoes!
ReplyDeleteI love your "parting shot," although you make a very young looking grandma!
ReplyDeleteOn first glance I thought you had a new flowered dress and a perfectly matching blue cardigan! But I had a look at the pattern and I think I understand what you mean about not liking your dress. I like it on you but I can look at a pattern and the line drawings and see "something" in it, and then make it and the "something" doesn't show up. I don't know what it is for me, to be honest, but I bet something like that is going on for you.
It's so disappointing to make something (the anticipation, the time!) only to find that it's not quite everything you want it to be. Still, I love the contrasting sleeves -- I wish I could be so adventurous!
ReplyDeleteLike others on this list, when I first saw you in the dress I thought you looked great in it. What a great idea to have knit sleeves. It sure looks great on and comfortable also.
ReplyDeleteSorry you didn't like this pattern. You might have developed a new style that you need to warm to. It does look good on you.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn, I love the dress on you! The floral print and the solid sleeve looks great together. I do understand sewing disappointments, I have had a few of those myself!
ReplyDeleteCarolyn, I like this! The colors are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI really like this dress on you - love the colours in the print and the ponti looks like it is an absolute perfect match. I'm sorry to hear that you are dissatisfied with how this one turned out - but it looks lovely on you.
ReplyDeleteYou look great in the dress, it's a bummer that it doesn't *feel* as great. That's a good color for you.
ReplyDeleteHopefully the dress will grown on you--the colors are fantastic!
ReplyDeleteSo here is my thought. You look fabulous in blues and florals. I like the style and your use of solid color on the sleeves. But if you don't like this pattern, find another similar because it does look really nice on you.
ReplyDeleteOMG! It's wonderful. I love it when you sew in a print. And the colors are so pretty!
ReplyDeleteI really like that dress on you! I think the raglan sleeve is very flattering. :)
ReplyDeletebeautiful!
ReplyDeleteI also think you look lovely in the dress, and the combination of floral and plain sleeves is very flattering.
ReplyDeleteWould you believe I also have had problems with McCalls 6460 - the sleeve pattern seemed ok when I compared it with my TNT one, but on making up the dress, the sleeves are way too tight. I am now attempting to add a gusset under the sleeves - very fiddly. Next time I will use a knit as you did, a brilliant idea!
Thank you for sharing; I love your blog.
Sometimes we just don't like a pattern no matter what we do, but I have to say this is a very, very nice dress!! Looks great on you...cute grandson too!
ReplyDeleteI am catching up on blog reading. Both the Whitney dress and this one are wonderful! The styles and colors are so flattering on you. I can't believe you don't like this dress. I had to smile because I have some of the same floral print that I bought from Vogue Fabrics. The fabric content of mine, based on web site description, is 100% wool. I was going to pair it with a dark green colored fabric or a turquoise blue fabric in my stash. It looks great with the cobalt blue too.
ReplyDeleteI too think it is flattering to your figure.
ReplyDeleteI just completed this dress. I had issues too with the dress. My sleeves are longer. I'm glad I'm not the only one who wasn't crazy about the final dress. I made mine for a challenge with orange polyester. I do like your color combos tho! :)
ReplyDeleteLauren
laurenphd.blogspot.com
I think honestly that you look very special in this beautiful dress. Another one I want to take a hint from.
ReplyDelete