M7948 hack

A closer look at my new dress McCall’s 7948 dress.

I saw the fabric first and fell in love so made a mood board. This is the Coquette Ribbons viscose lawn from Sew Me Sunshine.

That developed into a plan. M7948 View D was the spark – that view uses trim, stitched on top of the dress but it inspired me to use my stripes in the construction. I must confess that at first I wasn’t sure about the square neckline so I decided to start with a rounded scoop neck and turn it into a square later on if I felt like it. I also decided to add a small 3rd tier of skirt to mimic the ruffle on the sleeves.

I fussy cut strips of fabric with the rose and it’s border down the centre and then a seam allowance either side. To attach I could thankfully see the border on the reverse side to use as a guide for my needle. I started with the skirt

I then assembled the bodice and sleeves.

Then as it was nearly complete I decided; yes it would be nice to a) add the square neckline and b) why not trim it with the stripes too. But because I was a big chicken and didn’t commit to the square neckline until the dress was assembled this made it incredibly hard to add after the fact. I do not recommend doing it this way.

I assembled a square yoke with mitred corners and stitched that on the right side of the dress with the inner edge seam allowance open. And the outer edge seam allowance pressed under. I handstitched this in place and then cut away the excess round neckline fabric that was no longer needed. Then assembled a yoke facing for inside the dress. I attached this RST with the outer yoke, trimmed, turned through and then hand sewed the outer edge in place on the inside.

It wasn’t until the last minute that I decided to cut the sleeves down to shorter view A length. Jimi helped me realise the long sleeves were dragging the silhouette down and covering too much of my body.

Overall the dress is beautiful! My only niggle is it’s a little loose. It’s cinched with an elastic back waist channel and as a result the waist seam jiggles around as you wear it. That wouldn’t be a problem except it’s nicer visually when the stripe is perfectly straight. Similarly the neckline jiggles around a little because it’s a relaxed fit. Not good for the perfectionist in me wanting everyone to know I can cut and sew straight lines.

I wore this out to Parcevall Hall, a local gardens were I’m a friend and have an annual pass. The garden was in bloom and I got some lovely video of the dress I’ve shared on YouTube while I talk through this hack.