Pattern Review: McCall's 6277

Pattern Make: McCall's Pattern Number: 6277 Year of Publication: 1962 Size: 11 - Bust 31 1/2" Type of Garment: Misses' and Junior Dress with Overskirt Suggested Materials: Dress - Lace, Printed Silk or Cotton, Shantung, Embroidered Linen, Linen, Pique, Cotton Damask; Lining for Lace Dress - Taffeta, Satin, Polished Cotton; Overskirt - Peau de Soie, Polished Cotton, Cotton Damask, Pique. Suggested Notions: Thread; Dress - Ribbon Seam Binding, 20" or 22" Neck-Type Zipper, 1 Hook and Eye; Overskirt - 2 Hooks and Eyes.

Briefly describe your garment: This is the archetypal 60's wiggle dress. It features darts at the waistline and bust, and a sexy sweetheart neckline. I chose to sew the dress without the overskirt and omitted the pleated vent.

What materials were used in the creation of this garment? This was a frugal sewing project for me, I decided I would use materials that were strictly from my fabric stash. For the dress I used a red crepe back satin and a poly-blend liner for the interfacing. I also used a 9" invisible zipper from my stash (instead of the 22" zipper that the pattern suggests using).

Did you make any alterations to this pattern? Yes, because I was using materials from my stash I could only work with what I had. Due to my limited amount of satin, I had to cut the back pattern piece on a fold, eliminating the pleated vent (the back actually consists of two pieces sewn together, but I made it into one piece). This alteration also led me to hide a 9" invisible zipper in the side seam as opposed to having the suggested 22" zipper down the back of the dress. To replace the pleated vent, I created a side seam slit for ease of movement. I also adjusted the sweetheart after I finished the dress; it looked rather dull to me, so I ruched the center front of the neckline and stitched on a rhinestone brooch.

Were the instructions well written and easy to follow? These instructions are well written and fairly easy to follow. They provide directions for underlining lace, if that is your chosen material. I wish it would have been more direct about sewing and clipping notches for the sweetheart neckline (it does not provide a diagram for this and I know a sweetheart neckline is difficult for some first timers).

Why did you use this pattern? Although I had two wiggle dress patterns in my collection, I selected this one for its sweetheart neckline. It's a wardrobe must have!

Are you happy with the final result? I am pleased with my dress. Unfortunately for some reason the invisible zipper is peaking out a little bit, the fabric must be pulling somewhere (?) but it's not enough to bother me. I am much happier with the dress after ruching the neckline. Before it looked a little bridesmaid-y (see photo) which I'm sure is great if you need a bridesmaid dress! However, I wanted something a little more sexy. I feel I have achieved that with my alterations.

Would you recommend this pattern to others and if so, what skill level? I would definitely recommend this pattern to others! It is a simple and beautiful dress. I highly recommend it for beginners, because unlike other vintage patterns, this one uses little material and notions. It is a very basic design.

Would you sew this garment again? I would certainly sew this dress again! If I do choose to make this dress again, I would like to use a more structured material like Taffeta, or I would like to sew the dress with a printed or lace fabric.


Pattern photo courtesy of Vintage Patterns Wikia.
The photo of me is mine, so please do not use without permission!