Happy Monday everyone! Thank you so much for coming back and reading about my latest make. Speaking of which, I wrapped up McCall 8239 and I can confidently say it’s my least favorite make. The pattern is from McCall’s Fall 2021 line. I saw this pattern on their website and thought it would be great with a pair of boots. I was naive then.
Fabric
I picked a festive viscose fabric from Mood. The pattern requires 2 yard of fabric for View A and I had just enough. For the collar, I decided to go for pink crepe from Joann.
Dress Construction Construction
The bodice of McCall 8239 is a princess seamed bodice. For the keyhole in the center front of the dress, there’s an accompanying facing. The bodice came together pretty quickly. The instructions are great and beginner friendly. I’ve made a collar before and this pattern had pretty solid visual aids and directions. The sleeves are sleeves. The general construction of the sleeve is simple. The most frustrating thing about the sleeves are the cuffs. I had the same issue with the cuffs on M8180. Because they’re cuffs, they tend to be a tad challenging to maneuver in the sewing machine. The skirt is cut on the bias and I loved the idea of a body fitting viscose dress. I’ve never made a garment cut on the bias before, so I was looking forward to this make. To be frank, the construction of this dress is true to the pattern: it’s an easy pattern.
Final Thoughts on McCall 8239
I debated with whether to talk about this pattern because I don’t want to be negative on the internet. However, I think it’s important to be honest about these things. The pattern sizing is off. I’m swimming in this beautiful made and well thought out garment. It’s really unfortunate because the dress has a lot of hanger appeal. I definitely would not make this pattern again, but would definitely tailor it for it to be better fitting.
Thanks for reading today and happy sewing!
