McCall's 6506

For my first time sewing a Big Four pattern (yes, you read that right: first time ever!) I went with McCall's 6506 which has been lingering in a Pinterest folder forever.  I remember looking at McCall's pattern instructions years ago thinking they looked like a foreign language but now that I have the hang of it I was able to hang in there. If you're learning to sew, using independent pattern designers is well worth the money
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Two issues I had were the armhole facing and sizing. The armhole facing looked odd so I just did bias binding.  I cut a 12 based on my measurements and had to size down to an 8 after the muslin.

I used this rayon challis and was very impressed by the quality for the price.  It's very soft and fluid which is great for wearing but not great for cutting.  That took forever.  It is listed as black and tan on the website but in reality it looks like a blush pink.

I underlined the bodice with broadcloth and lined the skirt with the same.  After basting the pleats on the skirt pieces, I put the pieces on the broadcloth and traced them.  Not very scientific but it worked for me.  The skirt lining is sewn to the front band but then hangs free at the bottom. 

 



 

I widened the front band by just sewing with a narrower seam allowance because the 1/2 inch buttons were going to be too big.  Speaking of buttons, I absolutely destroyed the buttonholes by cutting the stitching with my Clover buttonhole cutter on almost every one of them.  The only way to save them was to zig zag the edges which looks horrendous but the buttons cover up most of the stitching. 

I like the big pockets.  Not so sure about the gigantic collar.  If I had it to do over again I think I would size it down a bit. 

I'm very happy with how this turned out.  I think I'll enjoy wearing it a lot. Now I need to decide what I'm going to sew next.  You might see a pair of jeans, a swimsuit or some running shorts.  Or none of the above. Stay tuned!