Knit Dress With McCall’s 7561

This is my latest make. I was gifted this fabric by Minerva Fabrics. It’s a loop back French terry stretch knit. It is perfect for sewing this knit dress with McCall’s 7561 pattern. Although this is a beginner sewing pattern, it did present come challenges.

The Pattern

The pattern is from 2017 and is described as a close-fitting, pullover dress with back, sleeve, neckline and length variations. It’s a nice, basic pattern that has a lot of potential. But I did have several issues with it. First and foremost, there are no measurements on the pattern pieces or on the pattern envelope. Even a beginner will need to know what size the finished garment is supposed to be.

The Changes

With that in mind, I chose to go with the large, but do alterations. I found the bodice length to be incredibly short (by 3″-4″). Because of the short bodice, I added 4″ (although I could have gone with 3″).

Since I was making View A/B, I made the length of the dress 5″ longer. To me, that was perfect!

Although I graded to a wider waist, I think I should have added more. That probably would eliminate the puckering at the waist along the back.

For the sleeves, I used the lengthen/shorten line as my sleeve length.

While the instructions call for simply turning under the neckline, I added a neck band. This gives it a nicer finish and made it just a bit higher.

Overall, I do feel this is a cute pattern. Personally, I prefer the Moneta dress I made a couple of years ago. I did have to make many of the same adjustments to that pattern as I did to this. I would definitely refine the alterations the next time.

The Fabric

The fabric is exclusive to Minerva. It is very comfortable, soft and easy to sew. This is a medium weight knit with good stretch and recovery.

Until next time…

McCall’s 7561

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Making A Classic Little Black Dress

I want to share making a classic little black dress with you. I haven’t made anything like this in ages, so I was happy to add something that I really needed to my wardrobe. For this project, I pulled out a pattern I’ve had in my stash for quite some time – Simplicity 1417.

This is a pattern from 2014, so it’s not terribly old (in my opinion). But the style is so classic that this can be made anytime.

The Pattern For The Little Black Dress

Simplicity 1417 is an OOP pattern that is one from their Amazing Fit line. It features princess seams, a slightly flared peplum, a waist seam, and pattern pieces for B, C, D cups. The point of these pattern details is to give the wearer some shaping and fit options.

There are also some sleeve options with a sleeveless, tulip sleeve, and cap sleeve. I made the cap sleeve option which is View B (and the one on the pattern envelope). This is the perfect pattern for making a classic little black dress.

Instructions are detailed for those who need extra fit advice or help. 1″ side seam allowances make fitting the dress an easy process.

My Dress

I used a linen rayon blend that I bought from Fabric dot com (it’s an Amazon company). There were no fit issues with mine, so it was an easy process. I did not make a muslin first because I really felt confident that I could get a great fit.

The main difference with min is that I attached to peplum to the outside of the garment, rather than attaching it in the seams (which is how it’s supposed to be done). Instructions call for the peplum to be lined, which is unnecessary. I do recommend that you read through the instructions first to be aware of the process.

Here is the YouTube video I did on this particular dress:

By the way, you should follow me on YouTube as well 😉.

This is definitely something I am so glad I made. I believe I can get a lot of use out of this dress.

Here are some other recent dresses I’ve made.

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Summer Dresses To Beat The Heat

I have been focused on making some summer dresses over the past month in particular. It has been very hot here and for a couple of weeks, our air conditioner was broken. So I was spending my days in a very warm (hot) house. So here are some summer dresses to beat the heat. These use a variety of new patterns and older patterns. My hope is that it will inspire you to make your own and stay cool for the rest of the summer!

The Dresses

One thing I have noticed is that when it’s hot, I like a looser fit. I like simpler style lines and fewer details. This is definitely something to keep in mind if you feel the same.

BurdaStyle madras plaid dress front — BurdaStyle 6912

This dress Is one I made last year, but it has certainly gotten a lot of wear this summer. This was one of my Minerva makes for Minerva Fabrics. The pattern includes some style options, but this is a cool and comfortable dress.

Another one of my summer dresses to beat the heat is made with McCall’s 6885. Funny that this one is also a Minerva make.

The fabric is lightweight cotton (fantastic for summer). It also washes and dries easily so it’s easy to care for as well. Shirt dress styles are fun summer (or anytime) wear.

This particular pattern is almost like a shift dress/shirtdress combo!

Last is one of my most recent makes. I used McCall’s 7742 to make this blue chambray pull-on dress.

This fabric is lightweight and perfect for this type of style. It is cool and comfortable to wear.

As you can see from the back photo, the dress also features in-seam pockets. I am a person that loves to have pockets in dresses. If a pattern doesn’t have them included, they can certainly be added on most patterns. I have done this many times!

The Fabrics

As far as summertime fabrics are concerned, I personally like these:

linen/linen blends
cotton/cotton blends
quilting cotton
eyelet
seersucker

These are the ones I tend to have in my fabric stash.

Are there go to patterns or fabrics that you reach for more often in the summer? Let me know in the comments. I will also be making some shorts, so it’s not all dresses all the time for me. I you would like to see a previous post I wrote about summer dresses a couple of years ago, you can read that here.

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