McCall's 6397: Modeled and Nitpicked

So here it is. I just finished hemming it, but I'm not done with it yet. The seams where the pocket panels join the skirt need more reinforcement. There's too much bias going on there (read below) and they'll want to bag out, especially since there's no way I'll be able to keep my hands OUT of them.

Overall, the dress is OK. But it kind of feels like I'm wearing a full-body girdle. But that's due to the fabric. I think I would like this better with a NON-stretch woven. I also think I used the wrong cup size. I automatically went for the D and it's actually a little bit baggy. Not so much that it looks bad, but I think I could do with less room. That's a first. Hah. Or maybe a 14 with the D Cup for the upper bodice instead of a 16.

Speaking of bias, I thought I would be "creative" and cut the side panels on the bias so the motifs would change direction. A nice thought, but it hardly shows. Except the nap (what there is) does lay a little differently so it does provide some slimming shadowing. I'll take it. There should be more of the effect, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

This is the same rear view from the other night because I forgot to turn around when I had the tripod out. Just keeping all the views together.

I wussed out on making my own bias strips and used what I had on hand, which was black. But it doesn't show and got me done a lot faster. The zipper is one of my purse zippers but it actually works with this very well, both for color and length. Fancy zipper application, eh? That's what you get when you omit the lining.

Now on to the nitpicking. You can see the pocket/panel seam above, and the underbust dart.

And here they are from the right side.

Do they line up as in the line drawing above? Here, let me answer that. NO, THEY DO NOT.

It's not due to any dart manipulation on my part or combining sizes. I got the pattern pieces out and checked them. I even checked the untouched smaller bust pieces and the problem is there too. It's simply a drafting error on the two pieces that make up the front of the skirt section. When sewn together, the seam doesn't align with the underbust dart. Which sucks, because that's one of the features of the pattern that I really liked. Plus, if the pieces were drafted correctly, there would be more of a slimming effect (which is WHY I liked it). Losing that illusion really ticks me off.

It's not the end of the world for this dress. It stopped me from topstitching up through the dart as I had intended, but no one who doesn't know better will know better. And I suppose I *can* fix it if I make it again. But I shouldn't have to.