Butterick 6016 – A Feminine Dress Without Fuss

Hello all,

What a glorious summer we have been having here in Southwestern Ontario.  I have spent way more time lazing about in my floaty chair than I have in the sewing room, to be sure!

But we have a wedding that we will soon be attending and a new dress is in order.  With temperatures upwards of 30 degrees (that is 85+ for my American friends) I need something that is appropriate for the occasion, while allowing me to keep cool.  B6016 is just the ticket.  Here is the envelope picture and line drawing:

I chose View A and a linen viscose blend in a red and orange floral on a navy background.  The pattern itself is relatively simple but I did make a couple of modifications.  First and foremost I lengthened the bodice by one and a half inches.  This seems to now be a standard thing for me to do on any of the McCalls, Vogue or Butterick patterns and makes a big difference in comfort.

I wish I had been a little more thoughtful when it came to cutting out the bodice.  Most dress fronts are cut on a fold but for some reason, this one is not.  It isn’t a big deal and I daresay the floral print is abstract enough and has movement such that the impact is minimal.  If I had it to do again however, I would add the seam allowance in and cut it on the fold.

Here are the pattern pieces for View A, minus the pockets as I did not want them.

The last modification that I made has to do with the pleats.  The pattern directs you to sew them down.  Wishing to have more swing in the skirt I did not do so; sewing them only at the waistline.

It is quite a lovely pattern and I am very pleased with the end result.  My navy pumps aren’t quite the right shade and I may opt for my red ones if I can find a matching clutch.

I will post a picture when I am all done up and wearing it so you can see the fit.  The wedding is this weekend so I will update soon.

Until then, take care and stay cool.

Bye for now,

Andrea