Finally a maxidress...

For the last couple of years my solution to a cool summer knit dress was Vogue 1250.  Well lose a few pounds and all of those amazing dresses have been added to the donation pile...and what is a woman to do now?

With much prodding and poking from my girl, Gaylen, I pulled out McCalls 6559. You know the maxi dress that everyone has made (110 reviews on Patternreview at last count) and I horribly failed at three years ago.  But body changes and an acceptance that maybe just maybe this should fit closer rather looser and I have this...

Okay let's back up a minute.  I really wasn't sold on McCalls 6559 until I went on the Avenue's site and saw maxi dress after maxi dress in this style. The only thing distinguishing each dress was the print used on the fabric or a binding added to the neckline and the armholes. I guess I could have just bought a few but all the elements to make them exist in the cave, so I thought I would try again.

As you can see from above, it worked. 

• I started with the same pattern pieces adding 5/8" to the front and back side seams.
• I added a 1/2" at the center front seam by placing the pattern piece 1/2" away from the fold. 
• I also added a center back seam instead of placing the back piece on the fold.
• The neckline was raised an inch and then an inch was removed from the shoulder straps to raise up the armholes. 
• For the next version I added another 5/8" at the neckline on the pattern to raise it up. I think the black one is a little low.
• I topstitched the neckline and armholes in white thread to give the top a little sumthin' sumthin'. 
• The shoulder seams were stabilized with "Design Plus" bias fusible stay tape.
• Finally the side seams were sewn with a 1/2" seam allowance and then serged finished.
• The hem was pressed up 1.5" and I added some stitch witchery. Then I topstitched the hemline with black thread.
• After finishing the dress, I had some gap in the front armhole, so I improvised side armhole darts.
• Altered the front pattern piece by slicing and folding over at the armhole and did a similar alteration at the back armhole.

My first try is from some of the black cotton/lycra ponte from my 10 yard stock. I figured if it didn't work, I would still get a maxi skirt from the leftover. I realize that this is a firmer fit than an ITY knit will provide, which are my next choices. 

Here are my fabric choices ~

An ITY navy & black border print, a red/brown/black polka dot ITY knit

a cotton/spandex vanilla dot print & a bold border print ITY knit

...a few more pictures of this maxi dress in action.

I will show pics of the other dresses in another post because I ended up making four of them, enough for vacation and as Gaylen reminded me on Instagram, enough for a week's worth of work outfits. 

Finally, I really like the tie top that accompanies this pattern and I think it will give me some much needed waist definition.  Now to find that linen knit fabric I bought from Fabric Mart years ago to make a couple!

...as always more later!