It's been a while since I made myself a new dress, and now since I joined any online group called the Curvy Sewing Collective I've really been feeling the need for some new dresses.
I've made some things in the past from the Connie Crawford collection available through Butterick patterns and I really like her designs. And there's the added bonus of all her patterns are designed for curvy girls like me. Her patterns range in size XS to 6X. And trust me, I've made the 6X in a few things.
My latest project is a dress that Connie Crawford has had on her own website for years. It's # B6359. She released it to Butterick this summer and I jumped at the chance. Plus, it helped that the Butterick website had all their patterns on sale for $1.99. So I got several hundred dollars worth of patterns for just over $100. Sweet!<---- This is the pattern. It's a wrap dress that is really simple. In their description they call this a "Loose-fitting, flared wrap dress has neck binding, front overlay, tie closures, shaped hemline, and narrow hem. [View] A: Sleeveless and armhole binding. [View] B: Short sleeves."
These are the fabrics for the dress. The flower print is the main colour. It was labeled a "shirting" fabric but I think it's actually a poplin with a little bit of Lycra because there is a slight stretch to the fabric. That's good because it allows my large backside a little extra room. The "Grasshopper Green" is the contrast. That name, Grasshopper Green, was the name given it by Fashion Fabrics Club, which is where I got both fabrics. You can check out their website here. While neither fabric is available anymore, they do have plenty of other fabrics to chose from.
First I traced out the pattern pieces. This is something that I do to preserve the original pattern. Because I am losing weight, if I needed to change sizes I can just trace out another pattern. The layout calls for opening up the fabric because the four front pieces are all Cut 1. The back is placed on the fold and it is this piece that proved to me that you can't scrimp on the fabric, at least not the 4X through 6X sizes. It calls for 60" wide fabric and you really do need it that wide. My fabric was only 58" wide and the pattern piece went over the selvedge by an inch at the corner of the hem and the side seam. I ended up adding a piece about an inch and a half wide. Though after the seam allowances and the hem it's really hard to see. I sewed it and I can't tell.
I added the sleeves to View A with the contrasting colour because I decided I really needed to have sleeves. Though I may do it again as a sleeveless version.
I also added pockets because I Must Have POCKETS!! Really, I absolutely Must have pockets in all my dresses and skirts so I
added side seam pockets. I just traced out a pocket from another Connie
Crawford pattern and added extra width to the side seam allowances at
the waistline mark. This proved interesting with the left front pieces. The
contrast piece at the bottom comes almost to the waist and I had to make
sure to add enough to the side seam of both pieces and allow for the seam joining the contrast piece to the main piece. I actually didn't add enough to the contrast pocket seam so I'll have to fix that for the next dress.
Among the pattern pieces is one for cutting out bias strips for the neck and armhole binding, and the ties. I saw that and was confused. But then I realized it's probably a good idea for those who don't know how to cut out bias binding. Me, I just ignored it and cut my own binding. I found it much simpler. After all when the pieces are cut out there is certainly plenty of fabric left. But if you're one of those who need a pattern piece like that, by all means, use it.
If you do decide to make the contrast version with sleeves be sure to get a half a yard extra fabric to make sure you have enough. It helped that I already had 2 yards of the green. I had gotten it for a shirt for my Gent, but he didn't like the feel of the fabric.
Size range: All Connie Crawford patterns for Butterick have 2 size ranges - Misses: XS-XL and Womens: XXL-6X. The 6X is 66"-68" bust, 56"-58" waist, 74"-76" hip, and 24" biceps. The biceps measurement is on the Women's size range mostly because a lot of us curvy girls need to take that into consideration with our sleeves.
What size did you make? 5X for the whole pattern. Sometimes I have to grade out to a 6X for the hips even though my hip measurement is in the 5X range. Thankfully I didn't have to with this pattern.
What are your measurements, height, and body type?
Bust: 62" Waist 54" Hips: 70"
Height: 5' 4" Body type: pearish
What adjustments did you make?
I didn't make any adjustments. I just did some add-ons, though I can't really call the sleeves an add-on because the pattern already calls for them in a different view. I did add side seam pockets and they worked fine. They just need a little adjustment to make them just right.
What was the construction process like? Did the instructions make sense to you?
The construction process was pretty straightforward and the instructions made sense. Though you need to pay attention to seam allowances. While most of the seams are 5/8", there are some seams are marked for 3/8". For those seams and for the depth of the hems I wrote on the differences next to the drawings in the instructions so I wouldn't forget.
How do you like the pattern's fit? Do you think the design works well for your particular body shape?
The fit is great. The wrap design isn't tight at all. It's a good design for pretty much any shape.
Will you make the pattern again? If so, what design changes will you make?
I already have plans for the next dress. I've gotten lots of complements on it. The ease of getting in and out of the dress is perfect for me. Though the top overlay can make one overheated in hot weather (something we've been having a lot of lately here in Upstate New York). So I may leave it off in another version. And I do need to add some length to the back. A longer skirt in the back means my legs don't get burned or stuck on vinyl or leather car seats.
Do you have any advice on this pattern for other curvy sewers? Are there any resources (blog posts, fitting books, tutorials) that helped you sew this piece up?
The only advice I can give is this. If you don't know how to make bias binding, learn. Because the pattern piece for the bias binding is easily moved no matter how well it's placed and pinned. Any good sewing book has instructions.
Pattern Rating (1-5, with 5 being the highest rating)
Size Range: 5 Connie Crawford's patterns have the largest selection of sizes for larger curvy girls.
Instructions: 4.5 Mostly because I had to add the different seam allowance amounts to the instructions. On some of the older patterns they did have the different seam allowance amounts in the instructions.
Construction Process: 5 It actually sewed up fairly quickly. I only took me 2 afternoons over a weekend.
Final Fit: 5 It fits so well and is so very comfortable. I've even used as a cover-up for going to the pool. Maybe a French terry version next time. Humm.
Overall Rating: 4.8 I think this wrap dress is great. It was really easy to cut out and sew, and it's so versatile. And I really think Connie needs to officially add pockets to the pattern.
I added the sleeves to View A with the contrasting colour because I decided I really needed to have sleeves. Though I may do it again as a sleeveless version.
I also added pockets because I Must Have POCKETS!! Really, I absolutely Must have pockets in all my dresses and skirts so I
added side seam pockets. I just traced out a pocket from another Connie
Crawford pattern and added extra width to the side seam allowances at
the waistline mark. This proved interesting with the left front pieces. The
contrast piece at the bottom comes almost to the waist and I had to make
sure to add enough to the side seam of both pieces and allow for the seam joining the contrast piece to the main piece. I actually didn't add enough to the contrast pocket seam so I'll have to fix that for the next dress.Among the pattern pieces is one for cutting out bias strips for the neck and armhole binding, and the ties. I saw that and was confused. But then I realized it's probably a good idea for those who don't know how to cut out bias binding. Me, I just ignored it and cut my own binding. I found it much simpler. After all when the pieces are cut out there is certainly plenty of fabric left. But if you're one of those who need a pattern piece like that, by all means, use it.
If you do decide to make the contrast version with sleeves be sure to get a half a yard extra fabric to make sure you have enough. It helped that I already had 2 yards of the green. I had gotten it for a shirt for my Gent, but he didn't like the feel of the fabric.
Size range: All Connie Crawford patterns for Butterick have 2 size ranges - Misses: XS-XL and Womens: XXL-6X. The 6X is 66"-68" bust, 56"-58" waist, 74"-76" hip, and 24" biceps. The biceps measurement is on the Women's size range mostly because a lot of us curvy girls need to take that into consideration with our sleeves.What size did you make? 5X for the whole pattern. Sometimes I have to grade out to a 6X for the hips even though my hip measurement is in the 5X range. Thankfully I didn't have to with this pattern.
What are your measurements, height, and body type?
Bust: 62" Waist 54" Hips: 70"
Height: 5' 4" Body type: pearish
What adjustments did you make?
I didn't make any adjustments. I just did some add-ons, though I can't really call the sleeves an add-on because the pattern already calls for them in a different view. I did add side seam pockets and they worked fine. They just need a little adjustment to make them just right.
What was the construction process like? Did the instructions make sense to you?
The construction process was pretty straightforward and the instructions made sense. Though you need to pay attention to seam allowances. While most of the seams are 5/8", there are some seams are marked for 3/8". For those seams and for the depth of the hems I wrote on the differences next to the drawings in the instructions so I wouldn't forget.
How do you like the pattern's fit? Do you think the design works well for your particular body shape?
The fit is great. The wrap design isn't tight at all. It's a good design for pretty much any shape.
Will you make the pattern again? If so, what design changes will you make?
I already have plans for the next dress. I've gotten lots of complements on it. The ease of getting in and out of the dress is perfect for me. Though the top overlay can make one overheated in hot weather (something we've been having a lot of lately here in Upstate New York). So I may leave it off in another version. And I do need to add some length to the back. A longer skirt in the back means my legs don't get burned or stuck on vinyl or leather car seats.
Do you have any advice on this pattern for other curvy sewers? Are there any resources (blog posts, fitting books, tutorials) that helped you sew this piece up?
The only advice I can give is this. If you don't know how to make bias binding, learn. Because the pattern piece for the bias binding is easily moved no matter how well it's placed and pinned. Any good sewing book has instructions.
Pattern Rating (1-5, with 5 being the highest rating)Size Range: 5 Connie Crawford's patterns have the largest selection of sizes for larger curvy girls.
Instructions: 4.5 Mostly because I had to add the different seam allowance amounts to the instructions. On some of the older patterns they did have the different seam allowance amounts in the instructions.
Construction Process: 5 It actually sewed up fairly quickly. I only took me 2 afternoons over a weekend.
Final Fit: 5 It fits so well and is so very comfortable. I've even used as a cover-up for going to the pool. Maybe a French terry version next time. Humm.
Overall Rating: 4.8 I think this wrap dress is great. It was really easy to cut out and sew, and it's so versatile. And I really think Connie needs to officially add pockets to the pattern.
