It’s Summertime and this Maxi Dress is fine…

It’s been a pretty good summer so far, here in Wisconsin. Last year was soooo hot and we had a drought. This year has been average to cool, which is A-OK with me. Sure, there are always a few unbearable days in July, but overall, it’s been pretty awesome.

I haven’t spent a lot of time in the sewing room in general these days. I finished this dress at least a month ago, but hadn’t gotten around to taking photos of it until this past weekend! Mr. 5 and I were just about to head out to the backyard to snaps some pics when my sister and her family happened by, on their way to the playground.  You bet your ass that we decided to tag along.

Just hangin’ out

Sisterly love, AKA blog photo pose mockery.

This is McCall’s 6559, if ya hadn’t already guessed it. It’s pretty much the easiest dress I’ve ever made, and it’s no wonder that it was in the “Best of 2012” on Pattern Review. It has less waist definition than I usually go for, so I ended up cutting different sizes for different parts of the pattern:

Neckline/armscye = 10
Bust = 14
Waist = 10
Hip = 12

I used a Maggy London poly ITY jersey from Fabric Mart. Not the most comfortable Summer fabric.  It doesn’t breathe, and it definitely needs to be washed every time it’s worn. Sweat is the enemy of the ITY…if you catch my drift.

E and me.  <3

The pattern called for packaged (woven) bias tape around the arms and neck. I really wasn’t into that; why not allow these areas to stretch, as they’re meant to? I ended up cutting self bias from the fabric, which I folded in half, applying the raw edge to the arm/neck. Then I trimmed and folded the whole business over to the front and topstitched. I’m happy with the result. So it wouldn’t turn out sloppy when stretched and sewn, I cut each self bias to measure 85% of each stitching line (90% may have been better). Here’s a spiffy tutorial on Burdastyle that illustrates what I’m describing. I opted for a narrow zig-zag instead of a twin needle.

I also ended up shortening the whole business by 4 inches. I feel like I may have gone too far and that maxi dresses are supposed to almost be hitting the ground. But, the other part of me doesn’t give a crap and thinks it’s just fine the way it is. It is what it is.

What would I change? I would raise the neckline about 1/2″, maybe 3/4″. It seems that every time I’m not looking, my bra instigates MacGyver tactics to escape. But, it hasn’t been savvy enough to accomplish more than peeking out. Thank goodness for small favors. I would also probably lengthen the dress by 1 inch, which would make the total it was shortened by to 3 inches instead of 4. I’m 5’4″, for reference. But, like I said, it’s a pretty good dress anyway. I’m just being picky.

Photo…
…bomb…
…approacheth…

:P