Two things caught my eye when I was browsing through the patterns at my local thrift store: the back details on this dress and the word JIFFY on the pattern envelope. I’ve always loved vintage patterns and I especially love the ones labeled Jiffy. Usually they are quite simple to cut out and sew and often only have 1 to 2 pattern pieces required. I picked Simplicity 6443 up and decided to give it a go. Here is a look at my latest summer maxi dress.
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When I first started to create this dress, I made sure that the bodice was going to work before moving on to the rest. In order to check that I had to clip the back together at the neckline and try it on. What I noticed was the weight of this rayon spandex fabric (a Hobby Lobby clearance buy) was causing the holes to dip dramatically low. The pattern itself calls for turning in the same allowance once on itself and stitching on top. I didn’t love this finishing idea in the first place but I knew this would mean there was no way I could wear the dress out of the house. Therefore I started thinking how I could rescue this from heading to the donate pile. I decided that the easiest method would be to add arm bands.
To determine how long the band should be I simply measured the neckline/armhole openings using a flexible tape measure. I took that measurement and multiplied it to find out what 85% of the opening would be. That became my new length measurement. I cut the band 2 inches wide by the length I determined. Next, I folded/pressed it in half (wrong sides together). Then sewed it right sides together to the dress, evenly stretching it to fit from one end of the neckline all the way around to the other. On this dress that is a really long length of band. I made sure to use these clips to evenly space my band and avoid over stretching in any area. When you overly stretch your knit bands, you will end up with puckering and pulling. If you get a little bit of pulling after stitching, giving your item a burst of steam can really help. My iron has a high steam setting and I have really enjoyed it.
Once my band was attached, I tacked the back to the neckline. I found it was still too low so I shortened it a bit before sewing it together. Overall I am happy with the way that this modification worked. I was able to create openings that are still eye catching without showing too much skin and making bra use impossible. (On a side note- I figured out my bra also converts to halter which is just the greatest news ever 🙂 I rarely find bras I like, but this one from Victoria’s Secret has actually really impressed me…normally I am not a huge fan. Anyway, back to the dress modification. The only thing I do not love is the front view with the added bands. I feel as though the band makes the front bodice area a bit too wide through the front halter neckline area. However, I definitely needed this extra fabric in the back to make this pattern wearable, so maybe I could trim off some of the halter edges prior to attaching a band to help combat the front from looking too wide.
I think I will definitely give this pattern another try in the tank top length and see if the arm area finished without the bands will work in a different fabric base. Hopefully I can get another one of these made up soon and can compare how it looks when you follow the pattern as intended by folding the seam allowance on itself and topstitching. I hope you enjoyed this quick look at how I fixed my Simplicity 6443 Maxi Dress. Until next time, Happy Sewing
About 18 years ago I decided to teach myself how to sew. Long before blogs and resources available today which meant it was often disastrous. But I never gave up because I loved it so much. Today I love helping others get started on their own sewing journey. You can read more about my family and I