New Look 6910- Let's Do Lunch

It's over 100 degrees here in Oklahoma and I decided it was the perfect time to make one more cotton dress for the season. Say hello to New Look 6910! It has a little retro vibe going on, don't you think?
I made view D, the high neck, sleeveless version with the full skirt. I love this pattern!

This dress has a plain, princess seamed bodice (darts in back) with options for a high (boat) neck or a scooped neckline. You can make it sleeveless, or use the cap sleeve provided. There is a straight skirt, and a flared, pleated skirt, as well as a belt with several embellishment options. A cropped jacket is also included.

I used a 100% cotton print from Hancock fabrics. From afar, it may seem rather drab, but up close, I really love this print- cream, purple, agua and sage green dots on a darker olive ground. the color scheme is, in my opinion, rather retro also.

Part of the reason I love this dress so much is that I have never gotten such a great fit on a first muslin! I cut a size 16 and made a 1/2" FBA, added 1.25" of length to the bodice at the waist, and graded out from a 16 at the waist to an 18 at the hem. The fit was pretty darn good.

For the final version, I tweaked it just a tiny bit more: I folded out 1/4" across the bodice above the bust (petite adjustment), I folded out 3/8" across the upper back, I cut the pattern down to a size 14 through the neckline, shoulders, and armholes, and trimmed the skirt to a straight size 16.

The skirt has six pleats in the front and six in the back. I sewed the back pleats down to keep them lying nice and flat. (The muslin wanted to flap around a bit when I moved.) The pattern calls for lining the bodice using the same pattern pieces as the outer bodice. I used a coordinating (100% cotton) tone on tone purple print for my lining.

I used an invisible zipper and a hook and eye to close the back, and I machine stitched the lining down to the the center back seam allowances. It made a nice, clean finish on the inside.

The only major change I made constructionwise, was to make the belt as a seperate piece. The pattern calls for catching it into the CB seam, but I was afraid of extra bulk interfering with the zipper. My only dislike with this pattern is that the belt is cut on the bias. I should have listened to my gut and cut it on grain. As it is, the belt has already stretched from just one night of hanging on a hanger and being worn for 15 minutes to take photos. (You can kind of tell in the photo of the back of the dress.) I don't have enough of this fabric left to cut another one, so I will look around for a RTW belt, or maybe make a new one out of a coordinating fabric or ribbon.

Overall, I am very pleased with this dress. I have already cut another one- this time using View B (straight skirt, cap sleeves, scoop neckline) out of denim. I hope to have it completed and ready to share this weekend.

I can see this dress made in all sorts of fabrics. I can just imagine it made up for the holidays in a pretty satin or maybe silk dupioni with a little jewelled belt buckle instead of a fabric knot. If I sew it, the part invitation will come... How's that for wishful thinking?

I give this pattern an A+. If you have it in your stash, give it a go. This is going on my TNT list ASAP!