Sewing Pattern Review: Butterick 6677
I do love a dress, especially in the warmer months, so when I was asked to review this pattern, I jumped at the chance. When I'm thinking about a new dress, I like it to fit several criteria. Comfortable, versatile, floaty and, most importantly, pockets! This dress ticks all the boxes for me. It's very comfy as it is not too fitted and the gently elasticated waist gives it a little definition without being restrictive. It's a versatile pattern which means I can make it up in different views to get the most out of it. Full-length for formal occasions or a simple dress for nipping to the shops in, it would be lovely to hack it to just make a simple skirt, too. And, of course, the pockets are great for hankies, sweets and other hidden contraband!
“This dress ticks all the boxes for me”
I cut out a size 10 and even though my measurements put me as a 12 for my hips there is enough ease for the skirt to be very comfortable. I wanted to make the dress full length but to dress it down by wearing flats rather than heels, more of a summer day dress rather than evening wear. When I tried it on, I was nearly tripping over it and it just didn't fit my 5'3" frame! I ended up taking out a total of 7” in length from across both the skirt and ruffle, in order to keep the proportions right. I decided to make view B, which is all the bells and whistles of shoulder ruffles and a deep hem frill.
Add pockets to any dress!
Find your complete step-by-step guide inside your FREE CraftWorld Magazine Issue 7.
I chose this lovely double sided double gauze fabric in a gingham print from Cool Crafting. Very cleverly, one side is large checks and the other side is much smaller scale checks. I wanted to highlight the lovely pattern lines of the dress, so decided to use both sides of the fabric. Once cut out, I laid all the pieces out to help me decide which side to use for which pattern pieces. The shoulder ruffles drape to show both sides of the fabric so it's certainly worth thinking about that if you choose to add them.
They do take a fair bit of effort and I found myself having to take them very slowly indeed. I think if I made them again, I wouldn't double hem the inner edge, but overlock it to reduce bulk when attaching them to the dress. Finally, I added a couple of hand-worked thread belt loops to keep the belt nicely in position. It was fun to make and is fun to wear too. I can't wait to see how everyone makes it their own - ruffles and frills or a simple shift?
Make Your Own!
Butterick B6677 is one of your gifts with Issue 106 of Love Sewing Magazine, which is packed full of dressmaking inspiration and includes THREE paper patterns.