New Look Pattern 6500

03 Jul New Look Pattern 6500

I’m so happy to be celebrating the Fourth again, that I’ve made a new dress for the occasion!

Another big bold print to express my big bold happiness to be with friends and family again 😊

After seeing the Jude Connally dress in the Charleston store made from this fabric, I soon discovered the fabric on the Emma One Sock website.

Once it arrived I realized the fabric design on the dress was smaller than my fabric, but within 5 minutes of posting the dressform photo on Instagram, my daughter sent me this photo.

How could I have forgotten her dress, especially since I took the picture? 😉 Mimi’s dress is a Trina Turk. I love her cute dress, but I only had two yards of fabric.

ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE

When I  was attaching the lining in the Lilly Inspired Dress, I knew a more efficient way of sewing the sleeveless armholes and lining together existed. While some sewists have impeccable handwork skills and use that preferred method, I wanted to know a foolproof machine technique. I needed a choice!

Asking for advice from Goodbye Valentino readers brought about many replies and great recommendations – Thank you so much! Mary Anne Chambers replied with a technique that I immediately visualized and it worked  b e a u t i f u l l y !

Maybe you use this technique, but if not here it is:

1. Sew the shoulder seams of fashion fabric and lining, right sides together. Press open.
2. With right sides together attach the lining to the fashion fabric at the neckline. Clip, trim, turn and press.

3. Turn garment back right sides together. Pin the lining and fashion fabric and stitch the armholes, leaving the sides open. Trim seam allowance.

4. Turn the fabric by pulling each side through the shoulder. Press again if needed.

5. Turn back to right sides together. Pin and sew the lining and the fashion fabric in a continuous seam.

6. Turn  and finish sewing the back seam and insert the zipper. Violá !

I noticed the two RTW dresses did not feature a scalloped hem, but I envisioned a scalloped hem from the beginning.

I easily created the scalloped hem by trimming along the border (which I carefully placed before cutting the pattern piece) with appliqué scissors.

Then I finished the edge with Fray Block which I prefer to Frey Check for garment sewing because it leaves a softer finish.

My pattern is New Look 6500 and I lined the dress with a very lightweight cotton batiste from Five Eighth Seams.

I hemmed the lining along the red line in the photo below to showcase the cutwork in the medallion and other parts of the border.

The Jude Connally Instagram post recommends wearing this dress to a wedding and Mimi wore her dress to a rehearsal party. The lightweight nature of the fabric makes it a great summer dress to wear just about anywhere whether I dress it up with gold accessories and patent sandals,

or wear it with my favorite pair of Charleston Shoe Company shoes – the most comfortable shoes on earth!

If you’re a Charleston Shoe Company fan follow the link to Zuilly to see its full CSC collection or click on the selected images below. Zuilly offers the best prices on these shoes I’ve ever seen.

UPDATE  – Charleston Shoe Company shoes are selling out on Zuilly, but QVC also offers a great selection at  a lower price point. Click HERE

To all who celebrate the Fourth of July, I hope you can celebrate the way you choose this year!  Best wishes for a safe, happy and festive holiday!

 

great summer bags……