McCall's M4440 - Spring Strapless Dress

(picture updated)
I finished! I had to put it off for a few days (busy, busy) but I worked a fair part of yesterday and sewed the whole dress together! I was actually hand-sewing the last stitches in the hook-and-eye when my fiance came home from work. Talk about good timing!

Now that I've used this pattern, M4440, twice, I think it's fair for me to review it. I did both the spaghetti-strap version and the strapless and the instructions for each for easy to follow. I actually didn't need the instructions very much, especially on the second one, but they did guide me along. This pattern worked well with both materials I used and would likely work well with several others.

There were a limited number of steps (compared to other dresses I've attempted) which was great. Cut, dart, sew bodice, sew skirt, sew bodice to skirt, trim, zipper, finish. There are 6 pieces for the bodice, it's self-lined, and three for the skirt plus trim, zipper, and a hook-and-eye closure. What I really liked about the pattern was the surprisingly good fit. I always cut my pattern based on the finished garment measurements rather than using the size guide but, even then I often have to tailor it. With this dress, it was slim fitting but not tight and the strapless one sat loose enough at the top of the bust that it didn't give an unflattering look but the boning and zipper keep it up. These dresses actually fit better than many store-bought dresses I've worn.

The only difficulty I encountered was attaching the invisible zipper. I had already sewn part of the back hem in the first dress before adding the zipper, which made it difficult. For the second dress, I followed the directions that came with the zipper and it went together quickly and beautifully. It did mean I was unable to do a French seam in the back but, it was worth it to not have to struggle with the zipper. I did do French seams on the side seams though, for polish.

Overall, these dresses were easy to put together, take only a day or two and look great! If you want to try your hand at making a summer dress, I highly recommend this pattern.

Now, on to a coverup! x