Summer Shirt Dress- McCalls 6506

It's been so long since I had any nice new clothes, so I finally made my way to the fabric store after Christmas to take advantage of the sales. I came home with two lovely pieces of soft cotton voile and could hardly wait to get sewing.
I had seen a dress in Myer that I really liked, but couldn't justify buying. It was a button down dress with a collar and belt. Amazingly, I had an almost identical pattern sitting at home. McCalls 6506.

I've never been a fan of the 'shirt dress', but this one really took my fancy (except for the massive collar). I redrew the collar to be a bit more moderate and lengthened the waist, as I dislike dresses to sit above my waist. The other strange this about this pattern is that the darts are meant to be sewn on the outside and thus be visible. I can't really think why you would do that, so I put them in their proper place on the inside.

Other than those things, I made no alterations to this pattern. The fit is large-ish, but because there is a belt around the waist, the dress can be pulled in and out depending on the size of your waistline. For someone who contemplates having a second baby, this feature is very handy! The pattern also provides three cup sizes to help the darts sit right. Very handy for a small busted woman, and I'm sure for those who are more well endowed.

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with this pattern and I'm sure I will make it again!