McCalls 6520- possibly my worst fabric idea ever. 
See the cute little stripey one? With the shoulders that remind me of old baseball jersies? Thats the latest victim. I took a few liberties with it- I am not a huge fan of drawstring self-belts, so I thought I’d just thread a real belt thru there and feel good about it.The casing is alot wider in reality than on the dainty miss in the picture.
I also didn’t have one button that felt right with this fabric, so I used pearly snaps. By the by, none of the animals like me with a hammer. Oh, Katze- it’s ok!
I was coerced into this novelty quilt fabric last year by an over-zealous friend and hadn’t thought of a thing to do with it- I didn’t want to break up the print and I think it risks going ‘housedress’ very easily, so it has languished in the textile hoarders closet for far too long. Just because you admire this: 
Doesn’t mean that you should wear this: 
Maybe I just wanted to have Wanda B with me all the time!
Oh, the perils of sewing with quilty-cotton?! I know it’s a dirty word to some, but I can’t avoid a pretty print and in my neck of the woods, that is the best range of options. I’m not sure that I pulled it off this time.I’m warming to it, but I’m still not totally sold. My husband assures me that I don’t look like Babe Ruth in a nightie. He’s very good that way. It is very comfortable and I enjoyed pulverizing snaps while watching Buffi get tossed off the Michael Korr’s show- Lord I was not fond of her work! Did anybody think that Sergei didn’t get enough love for that dress? 
photo credits: pattern review, meadhawg
Pretty Grievances 
I do like this dress and the print. Nice job. I also live in quilt fabric country (the Canadian prairies) and I have a weakness for fun and funky prints.
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You don’t think it’s too much?
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No way, I would totally wear that. I think this pattern worked well with this print. I’ll second Carol456 in saying that it is cute, in a good way. The old Victorian ladies gracing a simple modern cut dress, it works for me. It looks comfortable too.
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Oh, my, this is cute! I think you’ve chosen the perfect dress for this print. I really like the shape of the neckline.
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Really? My husband really isn’t just trying to talk me down from the bell tower by saying he likes it?
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No your husband isn’t wrong! It is a cute dress and a great reworking of the pattern. And if it’s comfortable and a true reflection of your personality, then you’ve made a wonderful new dress!
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We don’t necesarilly want a true reflection of my personality! heehee
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I, for one, think this is CUTE. But, since it is indirectly, an homage to moi…well I can’t say for sure that my ego has not got the best of my opinion on this occasion. I would love to have a shirt made of this stuff (in my day to day life, I have too few occasions for wearing a dress.)
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I did think about you the whole time I was making it- I haven’t decided which gal is you yet….
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I think the dress is really nice – great shape too – fantastic neckline and I love what you did with the belt. Hubby sounds like a keeper!
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He is my ninja photographer too- you can blame him if they are in focus!
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I like it. Kooky fabric and all. I think the favt its not a white background is why it works. I’m particularly liking the skirt dress without a collar. Like. Husband gets a medal.
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Husband snuck into a wedding reception prep area for these pis, too- that is surely no lovely patio of mine! Not enough dogs!
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Ah now I really love it – the Wedding Crashers Dress!
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I love this fabric! What a whimsical print – and you made the most of it with a simple design. Your DH is right: it’s perfect!
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I have dithered over this fabric for over a year! It’s been every new Lisette in my head- I don’t know how this ended up as the winner, but I’m glad.
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I love it. I think it looks great on you and the colours are perfect for you. Definitely a keeper, along with the husband.
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Thank you, thank you! You never leave a man that is this indulgent!
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I really like the print. Did you change the shape of the neckline to be square? I love it—very flattering. I also live on the Canadian prairies, and there’s plenty of quilting fabric to go around. My husband can’t get enough of them for shirt fabrics (he doesn’t know any better). Anyways, I think this dress is a winner. If I saw you walking down the street in it, I’d be a little jealous and a lot inspired!
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My town is quite beige. I get a lot of heads cocked to the side usually- odd, I think my clothes are just like everyone elses- just less local college logos!
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I think it’s fun and suits your adorably quirky personality perfectly! 🙂
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If I could find shoes to match that belt I know I could find inner peace!
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That fabric makes me swoon like a Victorian lady in a corset. You can never go wrong with a novelty print. I think it’s fabulous.
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I think it may become a regular summer wear- it’s definitely growing on me!
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This is the most egregious fishing for a compliment I’ve ever seen. You look fantastic! This dress looks straight out of Anthro and perfect on you. Buffy sucked, I feel the first five episodes of PR aren’t even worth watching, except of course for learning about “fish whistle”, my new favorite euphemism.
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I’m always learning new things on Project Runway- most of them NOT sewing related!
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I LOVE THIS! I think the wacky print is perfect with such a simple shape (I may be biased since I made and love this pattern). I think it looks fabulous on you. Really flattering shape. I just think the neckline needs to be like, an inch lower but I felt that way about my version too. And thank heavens Buffi left. I h-h-h-HATED her style. But I think this season is pretty boring. I like Sanjie but it’s there are too many severe Europeans and humourless “Glamourous lady” designers and that Gunnar needs an ass kick and a head slap. Simultaneously. Kinda sad the flakey Japanese guy left. His stuff was amusing.
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Gunnar is a walking stereotype mean girl- so sad. The group challenges should be firey with all these egos!
I’d like the neckline lower, but not so wide,too.
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I’m so sad Kooan left!!! He really cracked me up!!
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He was the little sparkplug of crazy- loved him.
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This looks like a cool dress and the colours are perfect on you too. Like the neckline! Perfect fit
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It was a good casual dinner out dress- it hid the beans I dropped on it realy well?!
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I am joining the chorus: I like it and I think it looks good on you. Or you look good in it – whichever – both! 🙂
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Oh, thank you! I think i overthought this one!!
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I think the colours are what make it work so well. It’s the sort of thing only you could pull off!
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Aw, thank you!
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I love this beyond measure. You look fabulous in it. Quilting cottons with fun prints are pretty much my favorite fabrics to buy and work with. To me that’s the point of all the time and frustration we put into this insane sewing lifestyle. If you can’t be whimsical and express yourself, why even bother. By the way, I loved Buffi. She was obviously never going to win, but I found her refreshing. Her tacky color combinations are fun. Anyway, keep on being fun with your creations. You’re the best.
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I was never sure if Buffi was trying to hard to be ‘unique’. Like she wasn’t sure if she was more than that.
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What fun fabric–I’d kill to have enough of that for a pencil skirt. If there’s one thing I’d consider tweaking on your dress, it’s the sleeves…if that’s the inverse of the fabric showing there it might work better hemmed shorter to match the skirt hem of the dress. But it’s lovely either way.
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I have to agree- also the size of them- I don’t like seeing the underside OR peering into them- I think I can still change all that. Good points!
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I like it, nice shape dress and the fabric colours are lovely. The style really suits you and lets face it we can all do with a bit of novelty from time to time.
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I can’t seem to get behind that ‘sewing with a plan/wardrobe building’ thing!
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As someone who has also fallen prey to many different cotton prints I can understand perfectly using it. It looks cute and fun and summery. What more could you want from a first run through on a garment? As to the drawstring waist, I often run elastic through the back casing with the “drawstrings” sewn on, secure it how I like the gathers in back and just pull the drawstrings to the most flattering gtehr in the front. Does any of this make sense?
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it makes perfect sense – my fav Burda (yes I have one!) suggests that and it works so well. I just hate ironing self belts- they always get so ‘eh…
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I like this dress, actually! I think it’s really fun! And OMG– how did Buffy spend all day sewing what boiled down to two rectangles?! Yikes! I thought Dmitri’s dress was awesome, but I really liked Sonjia’s too. I’m just glad that a-hole Ven didn’t win again! 😀
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Ven knows he’s talented. It’s hard to watch after a while?!
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He’s so smug and jerky! And it’s the same exact aesthetic for every single project! He’s so annoying!
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He will always have an audience for his work, but he won’t be on wearable wednesday!
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You can wear this! I cannot. Your gorgeous coloring, outgoing personality and overall style make breaking the rules a fun experience. I have a lovely new friend Theresa, who blogs at http://runamuckweaving.blogspot.com/2012/08/whoosh.html, and she uses cotton of all sorts all the time. Please take a look at her blog as she has opened my eyes to mixing a variety of prints. You’ll love her fabric choices!
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I LOVE Theresa! clothes and dogs.
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You look fabulous! Love the dress. And the fabric.
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Oh, Oh, Oh, please learn the words “spoiler alert”! I’m in the UK and I watch PR via dubious means which can sometimes mean days between broadcast in your part of the world and my being able to download and watch 😦 If I’m going to be horribly pedantic then “PR spoiler” in the header would be nice – just asking.
The dress in this post – the photos seem to show that you don’t really like it. And, I’ll be honest, it’s not you. You look so fantabulous in so many things – it’s not worth looking (or feeling) not fantabulous! (I think the double negative works here).
Julie
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Julie,I apologize! I watch it 3 days after airing, but I wasn’t thinking! Ill be more viewer friendly, I promise!
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I have this same pattern!!! I hope I like it when I get it made! 🙂
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it has great possibilities!
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OMG, this is totally my type of fabric and makes me smile like crazy! I am such a sucker for novelty quilting prints. Which is good because I live in a town that also has an unusually high quilting:apparel fabric availability ratio. I think this turned out really cute, and I’m digging the square neckline.
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I was realy trying to take the neckline in a little, very gappy- like the sleeves. I thin kI prefer it squared off.
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The dress is funky, cool and hip all rolled into one. I think the ladies are proud to be worn by you!
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Aw thank you! I’m starting to really like it!
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I am crushing on this frock. It’s a whole chunk of awesome and quirky with just a whisper of whimsy. I’m all about the square neckline- looks fab 😀
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Usually I’m just a ‘whole chunk’, so this is a nice change!
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I think you can pull it off. Toss a jacket over it? At least it’s not something Buffi would wear, right? That must make it okay! I am so glad she is gone….every week she looked like the Candy Challenge.
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or the reconstituted stuffed animal challenge!
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Check out the prints in this – http://tokyofashion.com/in-process-by-hall-ohara-2012-13-aw/
You are waaay ahead of the fashionistas!
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I have to say that I think this is adorable. You look really cute in it and I really wish that I’d thought of using a belt for a drawstring. Inspired.
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Since I stopped buying a lot of clothes- it’s ramped up my acessory purchases! Thank you!
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I’ve got a drawstring dress on my sewing plan and I’ve a feeling I’ll be stealing this idea. They do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! 😉
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I think quilting cotton gets a bad rap some of the time. You can find really nice, soft cotton prints nowadays. I’m a sucker for a good cotton print, of course, we live in the same area. I like the neckline on this a lot.
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I think you are right, you have to pick well- this one had a lot of softness to it, luckilly!
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I think it’s been confirmed, this dress is a keeper. I have looked at the pattern quite a few times and thought, why yes! I love your version and more power to your quilter’s cotton. It’s got great personality and you have got to love that!
Now as for PR, bye bye Buffi, as amusing as you are, equally tacky. Very sad our Japanese fellow departed, he was highly entertaining…Van, talented but yaw.
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Okay, so quilting cotton is a dirty word, but s*&$, I swear like a sailor. It’s a fun dress 🙂 I’m glad you modified the waist – much better. Mushka is always very concerned when the tools come out, as well. Poor delicate things.
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I love your dress, it is a whimsical fabric but it totally suits you!
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oh thank you!
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I love to use quilting cotton for dresses and blouses. Last year I bought a very little-girly pink novelty print and then freaked out about it for a while, worried that I had made a terrible mistake but I finally made it into a dress this summer and yeah, it’s rather odd but I like it and I’ve decided to embrace oddness.
I think your dress looks charming and not bizarre at all.
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Thank you! I think ’embrace the odd needs to be stitched on a pillow
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