Summer of Dresses - New Look 6097 for Reals

Hello all, I'm gonna bore you with another solid dress but hey you get to look at bird sandals again. Taaaaa Daaaaa, it's New Look 6097 as the designer intended.

Despite all the fun playing mad scientist with this pattern, I still wanted a straight skirt with pockets version.  Now I had my doubts about a knit straight skirt and the lower parts of my body intersecting.   It's a lumpy disaster waiting to happen. To negate some of the "craters on the surface of the moon" look I went with a nice stashed dark navy knit. Also helpful was that it wasn't jersey like I thought, but a thinner double knit.  The extra body to the fabric helps skim over some of my problem areas, but a purchase of SPANXS might not be a bad idea.

I call this shot, "Pockets make you smug."

I'm smug cause I got my frog pal in there.

Frog approves of these pockets. He would approve more if there was a candy bar in the other pocket. He might get hungry and need a snack.

Pattern
New Look 6097.  This is a classic case of  "Hate that fabric and don't much care for that version of the pattern."  I also can't look away from the hat that makes no sense with this outfit.  She has buff colored shoes on, why would you pair a black hat with it? New Look stylist, I have so many questions!  However kudos to the drawing next to her that is actually a good representation of the pattern. I'll ignore that the stand appears to be rotating independently from the rest of the dress form. (Don't think about the physics of that or you'll have a mini stroke.)

Fabrics used
Double knit Rayon/lycra with some silk maybe?  This is EOS deep stash so I've long forgotten what Linda carefully marked it as.  I'm 100% sure that it there was some sort of classy fiber in with the rayon and due to the shine I'm gonna say silk.  I probably should take better records.....or buy less fabric....or just continue to make shit up.  I'm pretty sure we all know what option I'm going with.

Pattern changes/alterations 
I started with a size 16/18 combo.
1. Shortened the bodice 2".  Tutorial here for future reference
2. Took in the sleeves 1/2" at the seam.
3. Took in the back bodice 3/8" at the CB seam for a total 3/4" reduction of length to the back waist seam.
4. Took 3/8" off the back skirt waist seam to make it match the bodice.
5. Added 4" of length to the skirt.  I probably chopped off an inch of that when doing the hem so it's a little shorter than cut.
6. Left off the neck facings.
7. Used the coverstitch machine to finish the neckline, sleeve, and hem.  I also used it to stitch along the pocket edges.
8. Took in the waist 3/8" at the side seams after the dress was constructed. There was a little more ease with this fabric than in the green dress. Some of that is due to the navy knit being thicker and therefore pulling the dress down and away from the body. It may have more horizontal stretch too, but I didn't do any scientific test. Someone needs to blind me with some Science...just not literally.

Confessions/Advice
1. I tried to tissue fit the skirt which I should never ever do.  If there is a tissue fitting school I would flunk out of it and have to spend my time turning tricks to earn fabric money.  Tissue fitting made me think the skirt was way too small and I added an 1" to both the front and back side seam.  Then when I sewed the dress together and it was 4" too big.  Good work Heather, way to pattern fit.   So I had to take off all the extra width that was added and then skirt fit just fine.

2. I did try putting in the neckline facing and it turned into the Rosemary's baby of facings.   It made the neckline uncomfortably tight and it would not stop flipping out of the garment. So don't nurture that devil baby facing, put it in the garbage where it belongs. It will hiss at you a little bit but just walk away.

3. This time I did stabilize the neck area with some super nice knit fusible tape I got from Sunni.  First time I've used this and it worked very well. Up with fusible knit tape, down with facings!!!!

Husband Comment
"Feels like it would be soft to wear and comfortable.  Feels like you're wearing nothing at all...nothing at all....nothing at all. Stupid Sexy Flanders."  (I added stupid sexy Flanders because that quote makes me laugh.)

My Final Thoughts
Wore this dress on Tuesday and it was the highlight of my day.  My own offspring was channeling some serious Hell Baby vibes that day so I was super happy to have a comfy outfit on.  The fabric feels very soft and kind of drapes around you when you move.  I also dropped a whole lot of food on myself and the navy color hid it all. Basically I was a mess that day but my dress disguised it from the world.  High five dress, you get MVP of the week.