Sunday, March 9, 2014

McCall's 2401---The Leopard Print "Knock-Out" Dress!

I don't think I've ever devoted as many posts to a single piece of fabric as I did for this leopard print knit. I got into such a fight with this fabric and was glad to emerge victorious! I won with a "knock-out" LOL!  Thanks so much for the helpful info many of you provided regarding my sewing difficulties (mentioned in my last post). I ended up washing the fabric (although it was cut up and already partially sewn together) to get rid of some of the slick fabric finishing. That actually helped a bit with the sewing but I ended up using my serger and coverstitch machine to ensure non-skipped stitches. For the record I normally prewash all of my fabric but every blue moon I may skip with a polyester. Trust me this wasn't the fabric to skip the washing step on. Anyhow, despite the challenges I was able to sew up a cute dress. And in the end that's all that really matters right;). I picked a very simple pattern so I could showcase the fabric and let it speak for itself. Here's the review......





Time to Sew:
If I hadn't had such a fight with my fabric this would've been done in 2 hours.

Sewing Ease (scale 1 easy to 10 difficult):
Very simple!!!

Pattern Description:
Simple dress with back and front darts and various necklines.




Pattern Sizing:
I cut the size 12 but ended up grading down the bodice and inch or so for a snugger fit.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Sorta, I made a few changes to it.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Didn't really need them.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I loved the simple style to showcase my fabric.

Fabric Used:
Black leopard print knit with light blue background


Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
*reduced back length 1"---short waist alteration.
*ditched the zipper and sewed down the back seam.
*scooped out the neckline a bit.

What would you do differently next time?:
Nothing

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
It's likely. It's a great simple pattern to pair with very busy fabric.

Wardrobe Versatility:
It s a cute dress you can pair with a jacket, cardigan, vest etc.


Conclusion:
Lovely little dress!

13 comments:

  1. I'm glad you wrestled with that fabric with perseverance cuz You look marvelous! I like it paired with the solid "jacket" and belt more than wearing the dress alone though. For me, too much animal print ...

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  2. Well, the fight was worth it- this looks great on you! I like it with and without the cardigan. It's always good when you can get multiple looks out of a garment.

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  3. I love the simple, clean lines of this understated design of this pattern... and then that killer print, sooo cool! Glad you won the battle!!

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  4. Love the print with those colors. You came out with a great fit on a very flattering dress!

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  5. It was so worth the fight! Love it and you look fab :)

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  6. Love the dress! I didn't really like that fabric but the dress is terrific!
    Well worth the fight.

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  7. Yes you gave it a knockout punch and won! Very cute.

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  8. I am not normally a leopard print lover but with the light blue background, I think this is lovely. Even more important, it fits you beautifully and really looks nice on you. Bravo!!!

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  9. Very nice! The color looks great.

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  10. That leopard print dress is adorable - and a perfect fit! I don't know about you, but I'd say it was well worth all the trouble the fabric caused you. The end result was worth every single minute.

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  11. You look stunning in your new dress, certainly worth all the time spent! I'm glad you were able to win this "fight"!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and for following me on my 10,000 Hour Sewing Challenge:)

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