New Look 6298: My New Bestie

You know how I (and lots of other bloggers) am always like, this dress is nice, but if I had done this, or if the fabric were that, or next time I will change this? Yeah, I'm not going to say any of that stuff today! I am happy with this dress, without qualification.

I have some very, very similar patterns (including another New Look raglan top which could easily be lengthened), but I liked the pattern illustration and the general vibe of this dress so much, I went ahead and coughed up the extra $4 to have the best possible chance for success.

Normally I avoid the New Look patterns that start at size 10, as this tends to be too wide for me at the shoulder. This time I cut the 10 through the waist, tapered out to 14 at the hip through the hem, and did a 1" swayback adjustment. After putting the pieces together, the shoulder area was indeed too wide, and I took in the center back about 3/4" and back raglan sleeves 1" each--for a total reduction in shoulder width of a huge 2 3/4". But it was an easy change and everything else suited me fine. It would be possible to take in the side seams as much as 1" per side for a closer fit, but at the moment I feel satisfied with the roominess.

Could definitely be more fitted, but I like the looseness for now.

The shoulder dart worked well for me.

One reason I was eager to make a success of this version was my fondness for the fabric, a quilted polyester doubleknit from FabricMart (recent, but sold out). On the website, only the striped side of the knit was shown. I was so thrilled when it arrived to find that the "wrong" side had an adorable pattern of "x" shaped cross stitches. Both sides were so appealing that I wanted to find a fun way to use them both. The possibilities are endless, but I am happy with this combination. Wish I could get more of the fabric!

The one change I made was to the neckband. New Look included a different kind of pattern piece than the type I have seen before. Instead of a straight band seamed in the back, it was a notched pattern piece meant to be sewn together in a mitered v-shape in the front. That went together fine, but then I couldn't get it sewn onto the garment edge well. I needed two more tries to get the neckline to work out using the more common method (with a little pleat to form the vee at center front). First I used a narrower band like the pattern, just with the joining seam in the back. With the bulkiness of my double-layered fabric, though, it was just too narrow. I cut another band wider, and used a wider seam allowance. The pattern specifies 3/8" for the neckline, which would normally work great, but not in this fabric; 5/8" worked much better.

Pockets!

We all love pockets, and these are big! I didn't sew them exactly as directed--that would have made them stand away from the body slightly. I know from previous experience that I don't like that. But pinning them flat was no trouble and it worked out fine. These pockets have a stitched hem on the top edge and turned under edges on the side fronts and bottoms. The side seams are sewn into the garment side seams.

I've already made another version...in fleece! I did change the pockets in that one, since I didn't want to turn under an edge in fleece. The biggest disadvantage of the fleece version is that, once I have it on, I will not want to take it off until May. It's a slanket to end all slankets. I'll show it to you soon.