Have you ever fallen in love with a fabric the moment you laid eyes on it? Like all the time right!?? Yeah I know…
All. The. Time.
All. The. Fabric.
So when I saw this blue and white lacy goodness, I swept it up and brought it home knowing that I would make it into McCalls 6696. I was a great idea in theory and now that I got through it….I love it but…boy was it a journey!
Anyone who has made this dress knows that it requires all lot of hand sewing, which I don’t usually mind….but when combined with a delicate lace… it meant MANY hours carefully hand sewing.
I included this picture so you could see just how delicate the flower petals of this lace is.
Pattern: McCalls 6696
Fabric used: Blue and white daisy lace and white batiste for the slip.
Instructions: I didn’t have any problems with the instructions at all. The collar went together nicely as did the button stand! I tend to stay away from buttonholes but the more I tackle them the less I fear them.
Changes I made: I didn’t make any changes to this dress, not even any fitting changes. I decided that due to all the extra work I did handsewing, I would make covered buttons. They were a wee bit tedious but so worth the effort. I think that they finish it so nicely!
Repeat worthy? Yes! It has lots of really pretty details and the fit is great for me. Next time, I would use a different pocket…I have a favorite…don’t you? I found the pocket included in this pattern to be a bit too shallow for my liking. My hands barely fit.
I may have started out a little over my head on this one but in the end I enjoyed rising to the challenge of this fabric and it was totally worth it!
This looks amazing and that fabric is perfect!! That lace really ups the wow factor! I am not a huge fan of hand sewing so I applaud your perseverance. It was definitely worth it. Beautiful as always Margo! I'm glad to see you're getting some sunshine finally too.
Thanks Heather! I was actually second guessing whether or not I liked the finished dress…I liked it but wasn't sure that I liked it on me… funny how that can happen after putting in so much work.
In answer to your question, absolutely, totally YES…there are just some fabrics that beg to be bought! As I get older, I'm actually giving in to these temptations more, and not having any regrets, or at least very few. Before, I would usually plan what to make from the pattern forward; now it's more often that I work from the fabric, to the pattern, which still seems a little backwards to me, but it's working!
THIS FABRIC!!! Oh my goodness! I wasn't expecting actually lace inserts in the flower petals! Gorgeous! And you look gorgeous in it! Don't doubt! AT. ALL.
I love the shirtdress silhouette right now. My challenge is always in where the collar stand attaches to the front placket. It always looks a bit imperfect on the inside. Any tips?
Your dress is gorgeous. Love it with the cardigan.
Your fabric is so delicate and you have done an amazing job with creating your dress.
Beautiful dress!
This is just beautiful. Love it. Makes me want to make another, much prettier, version of this great pattern!
Beautiful dress! Nice print!
That dress looks amazing! The fabric is gorgeous, I love the sheer details and I think it goes really well with that pattern.
I know that feeling! Kinda like when you spend hours making an elaborate meal and then have doubts as to whether it tastes as good as you expected it to. But rest assured, you've once again matched a great pattern with beautiful fabric and the result is stunning!
Nice to see you on here Margo! 🙂
I love the colors and the lace is so pretty! Great job on taking your time
This dress is sure to bring out the sunshine. Meticulous work with beautiful results! Love your work!
Spectacular, Margo! I don't think I've ever seen a fabric like that – I'm not surprised you swept it up!
WOW! What a beaut! This dress looks really gorgeous, and I can see why you fell in love with that fabric.
What a beautiful dress! totally worth the effort of all the hand stitching. The fabric is quite stunning; I'm not surprised you snapped it up, I totally would not be able to resist either 😉 It's a gorgeous shape on you too, with the shirtdress front and a lovely Aline skirt. Just beautiful all round 🙂
Wow, Margo! You DID rise to the challenge! Your dress is spectacular!!
Thanks Sue! I like it a bit more now that I have worn it. I love a shirt dress and for this one I used Four Square Walls tutorial on attaching the collar. I like how she does it and it works for me! And of course I always hand stitch the inside so it is nice and neat.
Thanks Faye! Still needed to wear the cardigan that day.
It really was delicate! I think this one gave a chiffon some competition for difficulty. Thanks Sharon!
Thanks so much!
Thanks! I went to look at your dress and I love it! A blue denim like linen is classic. Did you like the fit of this sleeves on yours? I'm thinking that I would like sleeves next time I make this one.
Thanks!!
Thank you Nathalie! I choose the fabric first and then the pattern which is usually how I so things 🙂
Thanks Tasha!
Thank you as always Almeda!
Thank you Morgan! It also came in a red and white…but I found the red to be a bit faded looking. So blue it was!
Thanks Michelle!
Merche! Hi! Thanks so much.
Wow! Thank you Carolyn! Sometimes fabrics just beg me to take them home 😉
Ironically, I'm mid-read on Four Square Walls' post now. Roisin just linked to it…I started to read, remembered I asked you, popped over to see if you answered, LOL. I'll definitely try this technique. Thank you!!!
sorry, me again. I use the same technique, but I've been top stitching the bottom seam. I'll try hand stitching as you do. Also, she mentioned to leave a bigger seam allowance to tuck in. That should help too!
absolutely beautiful! love it!
Yes the fit on the sleeves is fine…I think possibly next time I need a little bit of tweaking? Maybe a tiny FBA?
Gorgeous dress – It's a classic!
Lovely dress and gorgeous fabric!
Lovely dress! But wondering what the hand sewing was all about. Did the pattern call for it or did you choose to do it for a specific reason? Very pretty, and I just love the color.
Hi Mary! Thanks! Without going to my sewing room for the pattern, I can't really tell you exactly what hand sewing was called for. I choose to hand sew the inside of the button bands, the bias in the arm holes, the hem and the inside of the collar. I often chose to hand sew because I have more control of how neat it looks inside. Some are very adept at stitching in the ditch and everything lines up on the inside and outside of the garment but I'm afraid that I don't quite have the knack.
Lovely dress. Just wondering what the hand sewing was all about. Did the pattern call for it or did you choose to do it for a specific reason. Very pretty on you, especially the color, which is absolutely the best color in the world, BTW!