Sewing for Others: McCalls 6465

Hello all! My Mother in Law asked if I can make a dress for her that she could wear to a wedding Memorial Day weekend. Of course I jumped at the opportunity since I want to learn how to sew for different body types. Read on for more pics and info.

After consulting with my MIL, I spent a little time searching for the right pattern and came across McCalls 6465. It is described as a loose-fitting, pullover dress with French darts and round neckline. She wanted a sheath dress that could be made with a sturdy knit and not look cheap. We discussed what would look best and decided to change up the sleeves with the addition of lace starting from the elbow down.

There isn’t supposed to be a seam in the back, but I messed up and went with it!

I made a muslin of the dress and based on the size I chose (20), it was way too large. I ended up cutting a straight size 16 view D, and it was almost perfect. 1.5 inches had to be removed from the bust area but it’s something that I usually do with Big 4 patterns. The dress was relatively easy with the exception of hand stitching the hem and facing. The results were well worth it! I’ve always been SO lazy once I get to the hem but the results were nice.

For the sleeves, I used the view D sleeve piece and cut it right at the elbow. I gently hand gathered the lace so the design could be seen without distorting the lace too much. Using embroidery scissors, I trimmed the lace so the scalloped edges could complement the forearm. The fabric is a stretch black twill knit that would be great for pants, and the lace was double border so much wasn’t used. Both fabrics were purchased at Joann Fabrics.

The finished product! I think it turned out great. It looks so big on the hanger but on Ann it fits and looks right. I’m so happy with the dress and I hope to sew for others in the near future! Until next time, Happy Stitching! ❤