Summer Dress With McCall’s 7889

I made a summer dress with McCall’s 7889 because I wanted something that would be quick and easy. This pattern did not disappoint. It’s described as being a very loose-fitting top and dress with button front closure.

The Pattern

I made a version that combines both Views D and B. I rarely make something that is strictly the way the pattern is designed! The suggested fabrics are all lightweight and flowy, so that will give you some idea of how this is intended to fit and look.

The Dress

I got this fabric from my mother-in-law who used to sew quite a bit. I’m sure it’s from the 1970’s or 1980’s since she’s held on to it a long time. It’s 100% polyester, but it’s very lightweight, breezy and thin. The fabric was in perfect condition and was perfect for this dress.

While the fabric is easy to sew and the pattern is rated easy, I did have a bit of a struggle with the pleats. There are three pleats on each side of the front and on each side of the back. Although they are easy to make, pleats are one of those things that sometimes throws me off. I think it’s because I really need to slow down and sew more carefully to get them placed correctly. There was a similar issue when I made this skirt years ago. Here’s that pattern; unfortunately, this one isn’t available.

woman wearing summer dress with McCall's 7889

I would dispute the pattern description that the dress is very loose. Because the pleats in the front and back gently cinch in the waist, the dress does have some shaping.

The pattern also includes a belt as you can see in the photos. That also helps to bring the waist in. Please be aware that there are no pockets in the dress. So that’s something you’d have to add if you are so inclined.

front view of woman wearing summer dress with mccall's 7889

Now, I will admit this dress is shorter than what I’m normally used to. If I was to make this again, I would probably add a few inches to the length. I debated with myself about doing that and decided against it. But next time, I will add a bit more fabric to the bottom of the dress.

Conclusion

I’m not sure I would sew this dress again, but I do think it would make a cute top (that’s View A in the pattern).

But, if you’re looking for a cute summer dress, this could be the one!

For those of you who would like to see the video review I made of the dress, that’s here below.

Fit And Sew Custom Jeans – Book Review

I bought this book, Fit and Sew Custom Jeans, a couple of years ago and I refer to it often. It is a Palmer Pletsch book written by Helen Bartley. It is a terrific book if you, like me, love to make your own jeans!

What’s in the book

The book basically ranges from the history and hardware of jeans making to inspiration, care tips and templates. This is a very comprehensive book that will have something for everyone.

One of the things I really like about this book is that there is so much information included that’s easy to understand. I also appreciate that there is such a variety of fit models and examples included. So no matter what your shape and size, there is information you can use. There is also a chapter (and ideas) for sewing men’s jeans.

Who is this for?

I would say this is for anyone who is interested in sewing their own jeans. If you are a beginner to making your own, it is a great source of information and inspiration. If you are more experienced, you will find the fitting advice and creative ideas to be excellent.

A page from Fit and Sew Custom Jeans book

I’ve made many pairs of my own jeans and its something I really enjoy. Once you get a pattern to fit you really well, it’s a easy to “hack” the pattern and make changes to it. You can end up with different looks from the same pattern.

My Conclusions

I really like this book. It is not only informational, but inspirational as well. There is so much advice on fitting, of course, since it is a Palmer/Pletsch publication. As I mentioned before, this is one of the few fitting books that has fit models of different sizes. That’s important so that you can get a visual idea of what an alteration may look like on you. The information in the book is easy to understand which I really appreciate too.

Here is the link to video review that I made for this book if you’d like to see that also.

https://youtu.be/M7quJBfDSm4?si=zTRCs3aucw4t73jl

I Used Two Patterns To Make One Dress

For my latest Minerva project, I used two patterns to make one dress. I took the dress portion from one and added the sleeves from the other.

Pattern envelopes — Vogue 8847 & Butterick 6446

The Fabric

For this project, I was gifted this very nice, lightweight fabric. It’s called John Kaldor soft crepe and it’s 100% polyester. The fabric has a gorgeous drape and is very soft like the name says.

This fabric washes and dries really well. I love the vibrant print of it as well. It’s perfect for summer!

The Patterns

I’ve had both of these patterns since around 2012 and 2015. I l For this particular look, I wanted a bell-shaped, flowy sleeve. As the heat and humidity rises when we get into summer, there was no way I was going to make a long-sleeve dress.

The Dress

The Very Easy Vogue pattern is quite easy and quick to sew. While it wasn’t really necessary, I did pay attention to the direction of the fabric when I laid out the pattern. It’s a very loose fitting dress with gathers in the back and front yokes. There are no buttons or zippers, so you can simply pull it over your head.

The dress has inseam pockets too!

woman wearing yellow floral dress with her hands in pockets

Because the dress is very loose, the belt really helps to cinch in the waist. By the way, there were no issues with adding sleeves in from a different patten. The sleeves from the Butterick pattern fit perfectly into the Vogue dress.

Conclusion

While I am a little bit concerned about how comfortable the dress will be when the weather gets hot, I think it will be fine to wear. I am always cold in the summer when I’m indoors and the air conditioning is blasting!

I am so glad I used two patterns to make one dress. The end result is just what I had in mind.

If you’d like te see the video of this project, you can view that here.