Twiluv Ep 31: Mirror Icon Capsule - Mccalls 6713

I joke from time to time that God wants me to buy fabric but sometimes it really seem like that is exactly the case.

The Sunday before New Years day, I decided to go over to Joanns and walk around. I hadn't been out since Christmas

eve and I was getting cabin fever. I had no idea what joanns had in store for me.

Let me take you back a little further. When Mccall's released their early spring collection. The only thing I was interested

in was M6713, it reminded me of the Adele wrap dress by BCBG.

I searched online for fabric with this dress in mind.

I thought about making it in plum.

It was another color I had on my list of "colors of knit dresses

I don't have" but once again, nothing intrigued me, therefore I put the thought to the side.

Back to Jo-Ann, I am walking towards the notions aisle and spotted a $.99 sale for Mccalls sign on the pattern book table.

Interesting!

Usually I check the sales before I stop in but once again, not this time.

I decided to check the pattern drawer and there it was, M6713 and the drawer was freshly organized, I was perplexed.

Let me tell you, this never happens to me. I'm usually the one, trying to coax one of their sales personnel to go find patterns for me.

I took this as a sign and grabbed the pattern.

But wait, it gets better!

Something told me to go check the jersey section to see if they had any rayon jersey at all.

When I saw this plum rayon jersey tucked neatly on the shelf, I couldn't believe my luck.

I honestly gave it a double take. I pulled it out and looked at it as if it was about to disappear

back into my imagination because I really couldn't believe the exact color I had in mind was in my hands for the taking.

Unbelievable!

Or is it really?

Things were going to much in my favor so I decided to take a minute to think things through.

Remember I said one of my new year resolutions was to make better pattern choices?

Well, a big ruffle on my hip suddenly

seemed like a wadder waiting to happen.

I sat at the pattern book table to digest what I was about to do.

I looked at the technical drawing.

I looked at where the ruffle was at its widest and I thought, if its true to the pattern drawing

the effect would be more like an A line skirt with the volume being at the base of the skirt and not the hipline.

From the drawings, the dress appeared to be fitted at the top with the waistline being defined. This may work out to my advantage.

Once I secured the fabric and pattern, I grew wild with anticipation to cut it out and get to work.

The pattern is labeled "Easy", this is in the eyes of the beholder.

The instructions are easy to follow but its not like a 4 piece pattern top. Its going to take lots of time for a simple knit dress.

It took me hours just to cut the fabric out, mark all the pieces (there are a lot of them) and construct

the bodice.

The bodice is one of those topsy turvy, rigamarole, full flop ones.

You have to hand baste everything and follow the

pattern to the T, else you will be sitting there trying to figure out how to stitch it together correctly.

Read the instructions, don't scan and toss it.

They are good but only as good as your patience to read them.

The best part of the dress is the ruffle.

It is made by doubling two pieces of fabric, thank goodness, I was wondering how a narrow hem would look on the ruffle.

It looks neater this way, very professional.

There are little pleats at the top of the ruffle (at the waistline) that helps it to lay flat but gives it the "flounce" effect at the bottom.

The front skirt is two pieces. You wouldn't think that by just looking at it but the ruffle is stitched between them. Just lovely.

Once again, the bodice is a surplice neckline where the gathers are drawn to the side. Which is always a recipe for wonderful.

And then there are the shoulder pads.

Get out of town!

I didn't realized it had shoulder pads until I was almost done with the pattern much less an elastic waistline, so much for reading the notions list right?

I was undecided on what size raglan shoulder pads to buy because all the only description given in the instructions said "small raglan shoulder pad".

So there I was, standing in joanns guesstimating what size I would feel comfortable wearing.

The idea of shoulder pads in dresses make me cringe, but I decided to go with the 1/4 inch all purpose ones because they didn't have that size in the raglan shape.

I covered them with the fabric piece provided.

Yeah, they even have a pattern to cover the shoulder pads, nice right?

Then I tacked them on by hand, I don't know of a better way to do this, its my first time.

Its a very versatile dress, it can go any way you want it but for a daytime office look, I needed to take it down a notch.

In Conclusion, this is another winner for me, its very slimming even with the ruffle.

The Ruffle ended up being exactly how I envisioned it.

Its placed where it doesn't add to the hipline so it works for "bottom curvy" figures.

The shoulder pads stayed put, they didn't move at all during the time I wore the dress.

I highly recommend it for SURE!

This capsule is fun, I can't wait to show you the next pieces, coming soon.

Comments

[Pam W]

Love the dress and the color is fabulous! Like how you paired it with the chocolate.......

[adrienne]

I seriously can not WAIT to make this one. Great review! LOVE THIS DRESS! lol

[Alethia]

FABULOUSSSSSSSSSS

[Lynn]

Fierce! I am going to pull this pattern right now and cut it out. What size did you use?

[Tanya]

You write excellent reviews, and you look terrific in the dress. Very nice color and great fit. Fantastic - go girl!

[Aminat]

absolutely gorgeous. Love everything, the style and the color on you. Great review of this pattern

[Myra]

Great job on this dress! You look sooooo pretty in it too!

[Alethia]

Fierceeeee! Ilove the fit and the color. You look fantasticccccc

[Kathy Awe]

Beautiful--the color, the fit, the construction. Looks terrific on you!