McCalls 6506 - The Bodice

The pattern description on the envelope's back is minimal - Dress has collar, collar and front band, fitted bodice with darts stitched on right side of fabric, pleated skirt, attached belt, self-carriers and stitched hem.

I bought this pattern back when it first appeared on McCall's website.  I loved it on first sight.  I just wasn't sure if it would work on my body.  But I've seen quite a few of these waisted shirt dresses on the retail plus size sites and I decided to take a chance.  After seeing a gingham dress from Landsend that was pinned to Erica's pinterest site, I rambled through my fabric collection because I knew that I'd purchased some large block linens earlier in the year.

I decided on this white/gray large gingham linen for the skirt portion of the dress...

My next thought was to use some of the white cotton pique that I'd acquired a few years ago.  But when I was going to pull the cotton pique from the collection, my hand fell on two lightweight white linens.  I went with the one that had been prewashed so that I could avoid that step.  So I'm making a two-toned dress.  Of course, I couldn't do something easy, right?

At first I thought I would make a muslin of the bodice because that's the part that troubled me the most.  Could I get a decent fit?  Would I be able to make it fit my very full waistline?  Will I end up with a wadder? I have to admit that I made minimal changes to the bodice.

• I added an inch to the front and back bodice at the lengthen and shorten line.
• Then I trued up the side seams.
• I made a rounded back adjustment to the back bodice piece
• The shoulder seam was shortened by 1.5"
• I omitted the front and back darts.

When I realized that I had at least 2 yards of the white linen, I decided to go ahead and make up the bodice from the fabric.  I had plenty left to recut either the front or the back if needed and I thought I would get a better impression using the fashion fabric.

  
So I cut the fabric out and basted it together...here is a bathroom shot of me checking the fit...

(I hate bathroom shots because they are so unflattering!

But it works for seeing if the top will fit)

I'm encouraged so I will take the bodice apart and underline it with a cotton batiste because the linen is a little sheer.  

Bodice sewn and waiting for the skirt

Next up is the skirt...gonna have to work out that pleat placement...

...as always more later!