New Look 6340 in sparkling floral rayon

Another of my goals for this month's sewing was New Look 6340 in this lovely rayon I picked up last fall. I think that the white floral against the blue ground makes this fabric almost sparkle.

It was a pretty straightforward pattern. I made View D, in a fabric that almost looks like the pattern cover. It has sleeves, waist ties, and a V neck. There is a centre front and centre back seam.

The only thing I forgot to do was to take my usual 1/2" wedge out of the centre front when I cut it. I'd already put the facing on when I realized that the neck was gaping -- instead of unpicking the facing and redoing the centre front seam on both dress and facing, especially in this fiddly rayon, I just folded over a pleat and attached two buttons to remove the extra length and make it look like a button placket.

I made a few other minor adjustments while cutting out. I raised the pockets by an inch, took 1/2" out of the bodice length, and added an extra 1/2" to the hem. I cut the shoulders at 14 but graded out the sleeve to 16, and ended up cutting the sleeve side seams at 18 just to give myself a little more room in the sleeve. It works but it was a lazy shortcut, and the sleeve would fit a little better across the bicep if I'd done a proper adjustment. It fits well enough to wear comfortably though, so I guess it did what it needed to.

Not too much to say about the construction of this dress. It is fairly basic. The instructions for this pattern are clear and easy to follow, even for a beginner, and everything goes together very simply. It has a nice swing to it, and while I'm not a fan of waist ties generally I think it works here.

You can tie them in the back, as per pattern, or in the front, which I often do since I think it changes the look to a slightly more modern one.

If I wanted to make this as a trapeze dress with no ties at all, I'd shorten by an inch and let it swing. I think it would look quite nice that way as well. I think the V is a little deep for me personally -- if I make this again I'll try one of the round necklines, or raise the V and the facing by at least an inch. (and remember to narrow it!)

This fabric was lovely to work with, a heavier, smooth rayon, with a wonderful drape that really works with this pattern. I picked it up in the moving sales at our local Fabricland last fall, and am glad that I will get some wear out of it this year. It'll be a comfortable and cool summer dress even if I just wear it around the house!