A Laura Ashley Sundress - McCalls 4444

 Lest you think that I only wear matronly vintage shirtdresses everyday (I wish!), I pulled this out from my closet for a barbeque The Carpenter and I attended Saturday afternoon.  It's McCalls 4444, a Laura Ashley pattern, which is still in print:

 Here's a bit of a closer view:

 I made this before I started blogging.  Based on who I was dating, I believe I made it in 2005.

As you can see it is "Easy McCalls".  I remember thinking while I was sewing it that it didn't seem particularly "easy" to me, but I had only been sewing for a few years.  Here's the back:

(Pay no attention to that bit of white around the zipper - that is something some hand sewing will soon fix.)  I made this from some raspberry pink and white polka dot quilting cotton which worked for this pattern.  I'm not wearing a "foundation garment", to put it delicately, and the two layers of quilting cotton provide plenty of coverage up top - no strapless bra necessary.  

I made View A, size 12 straight up, although I shortened those back bands by 7/8 inch (I'm reading from my notes as I type this).  Back in 2005, after I finished with each of my patterns, I made a photo copy of the front and taped it to a large manila envelope, and put the pattern pieces, instructions, and pattern envelope inside, along with a scrap of the fabric used.  On the outside of the envelope, I wrote notes about alterations, what size I made, and the grade I gave the pattern.  On this one, I graded the pattern an "A", and noted "not easy - ended up with good results".  

I would probably find this pattern easier to make now that I am eight years down the road in my sewing experience.  As a matter of fact, wearing this dress is giving me ideas . . .