McCall's 5974 in School Colors and a nod to DVF

Here’s another fullish skirted dress for DD.  Her knee is improving, but the brace and crutches are still her daily accessories.  Tomorrow is back-to-school night at the high school where she teaches.  On Sunday, she asked if I had any fabric in the school's colors, green (and black), and if I’d have time to make her favorite “wrap” dress.  Well, of course!  Hello stash.  I pulled out two fabrics and e-mailed photos to her.  The first one I purchased at Spandex House in NYC last July, the second one has been in my stash for about a year.

 

She liked both, but thought the green/white would be best on an evening that might be pretty warm.  I love this fabric.  I bought it from Fabric.com for $4.80 per yard in May, 2011, because it reminded me of the fabric in a 70s DVF wrap. 

Photo:  The Metropolitan Museum of Art
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1997.487

I’ve always loved this look and this fabric.  Yes, my fabric is different, but, still, it reminds me of the original.  For this dress, I made another McCall’s 5974, because although I love a wrap dress, it is a pain to make sure things stay closed!  This is a size 12 with my usual adjustments:  3 inches added to length of skirt, 1 to bodice, bound neckline, coverstitched hems for the skirt and sleeve, coverstitched binding at neckline, no zipper, sleeves sewn in flat, and shoulder seams stabilized.

I cut out the fabric Sunday night, worked on it until 11:00 p.m. that night, and spent another hour on it before work Monday morning.  After work, I had 45 minutes to sew before I left for my night class and then finished the dress when I got home after work Tuesday night.  Phew!--but well in time for Thursday's back-to-school event.  Now all I have to do is meet up with DD and, hopefully, snap a few pix of her in the dress.

This is the 4^th time I’ve made this dress and I absolutely love it.  It is stylish and comfortable, plus I don’t think it looks Becky home-ecky.   I plan to make several more versions (why not?) and would love to find a good leopard or cheetah print for it too.

Up next?  Another Simplicity 2444 for DD, this time in a lightweight denim.  It’s ready to go—I just need to hem it and tack down the facings.

How about you?  Do you wear wrap dresses or mock-wrap dresses? 

Until next time...Happy sewing! ~ Peggy