Two Dresses in One - M6553

This is my first try at sewing Fashion Star pattern design.  When my DD saw it, she added it to her long list of things she'd like me to make for her.  And because it was her birthday, I decided to move this one to the top of the list.  Besides it's not hard to sew and requires very few pattern adjustments.

McCall's has printed the NBC Fashion Star website on the pattern envelope.  Of course, I was curious to know who designed this dress and to see how the pattern version compares to the original design.  The dresses are similar, but there are some noticeable differences.  The original design is lined, the sleeve cap is shorter, there is some type of applique on the left bust, and has less style ease built into the dress.

Take a look at Kara's runway design on Fashion Star.. 

Now here is my review of McCall's Rendition of the dress, M6553. 

Pattern Description:  Misses' Dress and Belt:  Very loose fitting, pullover dress has princess seams, self-lined yoke back, side openings for self-belt, back pleats, neck slit with button, thread loop closing and shaped hemline.

Pattern Sizing:  6 to 22; I used size 10 with minimum modifications.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?  Yes it did.  The dress on the envelope looks the same as my version of the dress. 

Were the instructions easy to follow?  The instructions were a piece of cake.  I had no problem following them.  Nothing confusing.  The guide sheet included some design options, which I thought was a nice addition.  I've seen all three design ideas in RTW this summer.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?  We like the design of the dress, period.    No dislikes.

Fabric Used:  I used one of the fabrics that I purchased at the Mill End Store in Portland.  It's a fuschia rayon/polyester blend.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:  I decided to use the Palmer/Pletsch fit system to determine the changes needed.  First, I pinned the tissue pattern together to see if there were any adjustments needed.  This pattern has a lot of ease in it.  That could be a good or bad thing.  So to avoid a disaster, I tissue pattern fit it to make sure there were no surprises.

• The first fit revealed the need for a narrow back adjustment.  I made a 1/2 inch tuck about two inches from her spine on the yoke back.  Then I moved and adjusted the width of the back pleat to fit the yoke. 
• Out of laziness, I machine stitched the hem.

There were no other changes needed.  There is a lot of style ease built into this dress.  The bust measurement for size 10 is 44".  The length of the dress was just right for my DD.  She is about 5'6".


Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, she wants one more version.  And yes I do recommend it to others.  It sews up quickly; it's stylish; and you get two dresses in one. Lol

Conclusion: This is a nice dress to sew.  It's on trend and does not require a lot of adjusting to make it fit.