Made By A Fabricista: Time for Summer Dresses

Hi Guys! It’s officially summertime! Even though it’s hot in South Florida most of the year, summer officially begins Memorial Day weekend for me. Now that it’s summertime, it’s time for summer dresses, right? This is why I chose to make McCall’s M8108.

McCall’s M8108 is such a beautiful pattern. I chose to make View A and I made a size 16. I would have to say that this pattern runs a little large, but it might have had something to do with the fabric I selected. This fabric does have a little stretch to it. More on that later. I would normally make a size 18 but I made a 16 and even adjusted the bodice because it was still a little too big. I am very happy with the final fit.

While scrolling on Instagram one day, I saw someone post this pattern and I thought it would be perfect for this month’s make. Once I finished the dress and tried it on, I was in love! I’m a sucker for ruffles and I think the hem of this dress has the perfect amount of gathered ruffles. My other favorite part of this dress are these puffy sleeves! They are giving me total Bridgerton vibes. I love anything with a statement sleeve. I’ve never made a dress with this type of sleeve before, and I really enjoyed how they came together.

Using single fold bias tape, I pinned it around the sleeve using the markings transferred to my fabric from the pattern.

Then I edge stitched the binding to create a casing to thread the elastic through.

I cut 1/4” elastic using the elastic guide and threaded it through the casing. Sewed the elastic together and closed the opening I thread the elastic through.

Lastly, I did the same thing to the upper sleeve hem and attached the sleeve to the dress using the pattern instructions.

When looking for fabric for this make, I purposely looked for a stretch poplin shirting fabric. I used a stretch poplin for my last Fabric Mart make. I love that it has the right amount of stretch, but it is not a stretch fabric. This fabric is called White/Honey/Yellow/Dark Umber/Cotton Lycra Leaf Print Stretch Poplin Shirting. Although this print is out of stock, Fabric Mart has a lot of other poplin shirting options you should check out.

Dare I say this is my new favorite summer dress? Yes, I say this about the majority of all my new makes. She’s my new favorite, until I make my next dress.

Until next time,

JOHANNA | @soveryjo

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!Mc
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: POPLIN & SHIRTING.

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Hello sewing friends! I’m here on the blog today sharing a pattern hack I recently did to boost my wardrobe with a few pieces to wear during my recovery from surgery…and I’m also sharing a tip for those pesky rounded hems. So let’s jump in! I recently had surgery on my neck due to issues with my parathyroid glands. All went to plan and I’m doing well, but I have to admit, the scar was a bit larger and more prominent than I expected. I definitely want to cover it up a bit during the healing process, and I realized that I own very few tops that cover that area of my neck. I don’t really love wearing high neck tops, so I came up with the idea to sew a top that I could convert back to my preferred style once I recover. The pattern I used to do this is the Laundry Day Tee from Love Notions. This pattern is a fan favorite in the sewing community and has been around for more than ten years. I love the style – fitted at the bust but with extra swing at the waist, with lots of sleeve and n...

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