Usually I’m a good rule-follower, especially when it comes to sewing. If a pattern tells me to use a knit fabric, I use a knit fabric, because I know that if I don’t I won’t be able to get the dress on. However, in the case of McCall’s 7349, I decided it might be pretty easy to modify it for wovens. Yes, I know- it seems like the next sentence should be, I woefully underestimated the difficulty of pattern modification. Actually, it was far from the hardest or most frustrating sewing thing I’ve ever done- it was actually easy and fun, and my finished dress is made of woven fabrics!
The back of the dress is one piece of fabric cut on the fold, so to modify it all I had to do was trace the pattern (I actually just cut it out with my rotary cutter) and add 5/8″ to the edge that would be placed on the fold. When I cut it out I didn’t cut it on the fold, so I had two separate pieces. Then, after I’d sewn the side pieces to the front and to each of the back pieces, I sewed the back pieces together and inserted a 22″ zipper into the seam. The only other pattern modification I did was add 5/8″ to the neckband, which I did cut on the fold. When it was time to sew it on I folded the right sides together, sewed each short side, turned it right side out and pressed it. I then sewed it on and added a hook and eye to the back side of it.
I love the shape of this dress, and I’m glad I chose to use a different fabric for the sleeves. I’m definitely planning to make it again!
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