New Look 6243 – Fit and flare summer dress

New Look 6243 is a flattering feminine dress suitable for casual and formal events. I made mine out of some vintage Vlisco wax fabric  courtesy of my mother’s stash 🙂

The instructions were very easy to follow, which was great for a beginner like me. It’s also quite a quick project that could be finished in a day. I took my time over one week as I didn’t want to make any mistakes on my fabric.

I made a muslin in a size 14 which was far to big around my bust and back. Personally I think this particular pattern is sized quite large, especially if you have a small bust. I didn’t want to risk a size 12 so I took in 5mm at the side fronts and side backs. I also took in an extra 1 cm at the centre back seam. I’m sure there’s a proper way to calculate these things but I see nothing wrong with a little free-styling 🙂

Back View

My amateur adjustments appeared have worked. Sort of. The shoulder straps feel a bit too long and don’t stay still on my shoulders. I may have either used the size 14 straps or just sewn them on back to front. Whatever it was I couldn’t adjust them as the dress is fully lined. I will pay closer attention next time.

Front underlining

Back underlining

I lined my dress with cotton lawn. It’s natural, lightweight and feels soft against the skin.  I definitely need more cotton lawn in my life!

Lined waistband

The instructions call for the waistband lining to be hand sewn. Meh to that. I stitched in the ditch and it turned out just fine. Of course it wasn’t dead straight but it’s good enough for me 🙂

Side View

In conclusion I love this dress and will definitely make it again. As the dress shape is so simple it looks great with bold prints. It’s also  a classic feminine silhouette that will never go out of style. For me there’s absolutely nothing to dislike about this dress 🙂