McCall's: 4548  - Type:Costumes  | | Viewed 97 times
| 6 more reviews | | Reviewed by: | Mint Chocolate Chick | 
| About Mint Chocolate Chick | | Member since: 8/3/07 | | Reviews written: 13 | | Sewing skills:Beginner | | Favored by: 1 people | | patterns reviewed: 13 | | |
| | Posted on: | 12/17/12 9:22 AM | | Project Photo: |  | | Pattern Photo: | 
McCall's Pattern Info | | Pattern Rating: | Recommend, with Modifications | | See other patterns in this category: Costumes | | | | Fabric: | Cotton - Quilting [See other projects in this fabric] | | Related Links | Click on  to add a link |
| Flickr set here.
Pattern Description: Ladies' pioneer dress costume and accessories (bonnet, apron, chemise, pantalettes). I've made the chemise in the past, but this time I only made the dress.
Pattern Sizing: I made a size 12 (bust 34). It probably runs slightly big; it fit me, but I think I'm actually a little bit over a bust 34.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? No, but I meant for it not to.
Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked that the instructions were easy to follow! I needed a pioneer dress in a hurry and this pattern is easy to get and easy to make. Also: It does not have bust darts or a zipper (zippers are easy to replace with buttons or hooks and eyes, but bust darts are more troublesome to alter out, and they are not accurate for 19th century work dresses. That this dress starts out with neither gives it a decided edge over pretty much all other pioneer dress costumes).
What I don't like about it is that it is so desperately inaccurate. However, its inaccuracies can be, if not eliminated, at least mitigated without an insurmountable amount of effort and skill (I think).
Fabric Used: Cotton "homespun" from the quilting section at Joann.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Lots!
I had started the Past Patterns 803 Round Dress and soon realized it would take more time than I had to spend, so I pulled out M4548 and used what I'd learned from the the Round Dress, which is based on a real dress from the 1850's, to make M4548 a little more accurate.
1. Eliminate collar. Dresses of this time period should have detachable collars that could be removed for washing.
2. Close up neckline (if needed).
3. Lower shoulder seams and corresponding sleeve caps (I was going for an 1860's look with dropped shoulder seams).
4. Interline bodice. I did this by simply cutting a second bodice out of another fabric and trimming down the edge along the front opening. (Even blousy dresses had fitted inner linings. Also, the fashion fabric was basically appliqued the the lining, so all fitting errors could be made on the lining where they wouldn't show.)
5. Rotate shoulder seams back.
6. Reposition back princess seams (mostly aesthetic).
7. Merge reduced side-back pieces with front pieces.
8. Deeper cuffs (personal preference).
9. More buttons.
10. Fuller skirt.
11. Skirt hem facing.
12. Piping at neckline and armscyes.
13. Add side-seam pockets.
14. Reduce sleeve fullness (probably a step back in accuracy but necessary since I'm going to wear this to play music. I don't like huge sleeves, anyway.)
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, I definitely will, although again with fairly significant alterations. I would recommend it to others as a costume, and recommend it with heavy modification to beginning reenactors.
Conclusion: Again: My favorite of the costume-quality pioneer dresses, but mostly because it is accessible and easy to alter into something that is, if not perfect, a lot better than many reenacting dresses out there.
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2 Comments
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Your link isn't working. I'd love to see it, could you fix it please?
12/17/12 5:29 PM
Copy and paste, I guess: http://www.flickr.com/photos/littleblackcar/sets/72157627746591853/with/5258604206/
1/9/13 11:55 AM