... and even more summer in Germany

Okay, so I might still be in a summer holiday mood (when actually, ahem, I should be preparing my classes and NOT writing two blog posts in one day...). I might perceive the weather as slightly better than it actually is. I might even have gone grocery shopping in my new summer dress yesterday despite the pouring rain. But hey, I had just finished sewing it, so it couldn't just be hidden in the closet, waiting for better weather to come (or not...), right?

Yes, I know.

This picture doesn't really speak of summer. That used-to-be-white wall, the dirty grey floor tiles, even the wilting roses to the side. But I felt great in my new dress, and wore it all day. Who needs sunshine, anyway?

The pattern is McCall's M6073 in size 24W (WHOA! WHAT??? NO WAY!!!), which I originally wanted to make in the maxi version, but didn't have enough fabric for. But I really like the mid-calf length I was just able to squeeze from the fabric. I wasn't sure about the measurements, as the body measurements provided were beyond good and evil, and the finished garment measurement for the bustline just barely approximated my own body measurement. But knits are so forgiving, and the pattern has a lot of ease, so I decided to give it a shot without any adjustments (which I've just started to read about and don't feel any urge to get working on for countless hours). And you know what? It. Fits. Perfectly. This might well be the most comfortable dress I've ever owned. Okay, from the side, I do look a bit like several months pregnant (which I'm not!), but hey, just promise me to not look at me sideways, and we're all okay ;-)

One thing though. That V-neck binding! Really, I didn't get it. Either there's a secret to the instructions that I'm just out of the loop, or the illustration is simply wrong. So I googled it, and found a whole bunch of other bloggers reporting the same problem - and a range of more or less creative workarounds. At that time of the night, I didn't feel much like going crazy with the design, so I ignored all instructions and just pinned the binding to the neckline, right sides together, seam allowances facing in the same direction. I simply started at one end (that's one of the front bodice parts) and made my way all through to the other end. At the V-point, I tried to keep the seam allowance steady, but didn't quite manage. I sewed it, and ta-daaah-uuugh - it didn't work out at the V. So I unpicked the V and just a few centimeters to each side, pinned again and stitched again, which was much easier this time around because the rest of the binding was already attached. Then I had to ignore that huge bulk of seam allowance getting in the way while turning the binding to the inside. In an impatient act of rebellion, I courageously trimmed away most of the bulk. And miraculously, it worked! I wrapped the binding around the seam allowance, pinned like crazy and topstitched the whole damn thing. Okay, that V is not very neat, especially on the inside, but it's a V. More or less. Or maybe a U.

My lesson learnt from this? Next time around, I'll adjust the pattern to a somewhat higher, rounded back neckline and skip that whole V-neck nonsense. I mean, why is it there in the first place? Who needs a V-neck in the back of a dress???

That said, I really love the dress - and this is just the "wearable muslin" version I made out of some cheap inexpensive rayon jersey knit. I can't wait to get started on the actual version I'm planning to sew from some really cool retro style jersey knit! Oh, and summer? Could you please bring on a little bit more sunshine again? Puhleeaaase??? I've got some dress patterns queued up here...