Minerva Fabrics Stretch Velvet Beauty

I used McCall’s 7186 to make this Minerva Fabrics stretch velvet beauty. Not to toot my own horn, but this dress is gorgeous! I attribute that not so much to my own skill, but to the fantastic fabric.

The Fabric

Minerva gifted me this fabric. I am a Minerva Brand Ambassador. This project featured a new exclusive fabric for them. It’s called a Crush Velvet Stretch Knit. It washes and dries beautifully (in the washer and dryer-cold water, low heat).

The Pattern

The drape of the dress is why I chose this. I made View D. There are gathers at the shoulder that create the drape in the front of the dress. This is the second time I’ve made it and this view. Although the pattern is OOP (out of print) it’s available on Etsy or Ebay.

This is a pattern designed for knit fabrics.

Alterations Made

Because I made this pattern some time ago, I needed a bit more room in this one. I am still able to wear the dress I previously made, but it was a little tight and I just want more breathing room. 1″ was added to the center back seam and 5/8″ added to the side seams.

Once I got the sizing the way I wanted, this was a very quick make. I love making things that look like I spent a lot of time on them. The reality is, the majority of the sewing was done on the serger, so this only took a few hours to make!

Helpful Hints

A walking foot is a terrific help in sewing stretch (or any) velvet. It will keep the layers of fabric feeding into the machine at the same rate so that your seams will line up properly.

Be sure to use a press cloth and/or an iron shoe. Velvet can easily “scorch” and you could end up leaving a mark on your garment.

Conclusion

This is a fantastic dress pattern that is perfect for a stunning fabric like this.

Brother walking foot

*Some links above are affiliate links

Here’s my YouTube video I made about this dress and the sewing process:

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

*Some links above may be affiliate links where I earn a small commission. Thank you!

The Moneta Knit Dress

This is another one of those patterns that I’ve had for years but never made. The Colette Patterns Moneta knit dress (discontinued) pattern always seemed like a practical and easy to wear dress to me. So, I finally did it. In order to get the fit I wanted on the Moneta knit dress, I had to do quite a lot of work and make more than a few changes. I’ll take you through what I did in case you need to do the same either for this pattern, or another.

The Changes

Here’s a quick list of the changes:

lengthened the bodice by about 2″
widened the bodice at the bottom by about 1/2″
redrafted the pockets to make them bigger (more useable)
added a neckband
widened the sleeves by 1″
did a FBA (full bust adjustment)

While this list seems like a lot, I was determined to have a wearable, knit dress that is comfortable, versatile and makes me feel good when I put it on.

I noticed when I made a muslin (sadly it didn’t end up being a wearable muslin) that the waist seam hit me in the ribs, which I find very annoying. That’s the reason made the bodice longer. I wanted something that would be closer to my waistline. This is a common adjustment I’ve been doing for most dresses that have a waist seam. Here’s another example.

I also needed to make the bodice wider at the bottom so it wasn’t tight. The pattern size is an XL, by the way. Often garments with negative ease are too negative (which makes them tight).

I will check the finished garment measurements for knit patterns so I can adjust to my comfort level.

Another adjustment I had to make with this pattern is the width of the sleeves. This was something new for me. I also don’t have big arms/biceps, so I don’t know why they were so uncomfortably tight. I had to look in one of my sewing books to learn how to adjust for this, since I’ve never done this before. I’ll leave a link below to the book I referenced.

sleeve alteration pattern piece — What the sleeve piece looks like now

The Results

Once I got everything worked out, I I made this blue dress above. I also made this brown dress (from knit fabric I bought at JoAnn’s).

I often find it easier to make a second garment when I can right after the first one. The pattern is already out and I’ve gotten my fit adjustments done, so why not? I won’t cut two out at the same time though.

I’m very happy with the final results and I feel like I have a dress that is really customized to me and my preferences.

Let me know if you’ve made this dress (it’s an older pattern). Do you make so many changes that the pattern is almost your own creation? 😂

The book I referenced for these changes:

*As an Amazon Affiliate I make a small commission if you purchase from these links.