Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: McCall's 7969 in Crinkle Challis

By
 


Happy Summer Fabricistas!  I am so thrilled to share this dress with you, I LOVE it, I NEEDED it, I plan on wearing it A LOT!  


Lets start with why I LOVE this dress...the fabric, its a crinkle rayon challis.  
The texture of a crinkle rayon challis speaks to me, it says, "I'm a cool summer fabric" and it promises to float around my body allowing air flow and movement all of which you need when the humidity is near 100%!!  The hand of this fabric is really nice too, soft and very drapey.  I was immediately drawn to the print and colors which will transition into fall beautifully.  I mean just look at those colors and the combined effect, so fun.  

Another reason why I love this dress is the added trims.  I've had these trims in my stash for years, the hand crochet lace on my sleeves was white however with a black dye wash it became the perfect addition to the sleeves.  I also used a trim around the neckline, although it doesn't stand out as much.  



Now, why I NEEDED this dress...

I don't know how your sewing plans go but sometimes mine get into what I'd like to call a functional rut.  It usually starts out with a conversation in my head like this...

"I really should make separates, I mostly wear separates, my lifestyle is mostly separates, how many wears will I truly get out of a dress, my sewing should be practical..." and on and on.

All of these things are true and valid, however practical sewing did not get me INTO sewing in the first place.  What got me into sewing was the gorgeous dresses and full possibility of creating something amazing with my hands.  So I wanted to make something for this post that would honor what got me into sewing in the first place, mainly gorgeous maxi dresses and creative possibility.

I needed this dress because I needed to HAVE FUN creating, and I did!


 An finally I will wear this dress A LOT because of the small changes I made to it that give it a bit of an upgrade.

First of all, I added pockets and a snap.  The pockets do flop around in the dresses skirt but that doesn't bother me as long as I have somewhere to put a hair band and my keys.  The snap at the neckline was needed since without it the dress opened up to reveal my bra.   

Secondly I added waist ties, this dress is very voluminous (note to self there is no need to grade out at the hips for this pattern).  The ties just give it a bit of a cinched in feeling that keeps it from being too sack like.

And last of all this dress just makes me happy and feels wonderful to wear.  The added trims bring me joy and make it look like there was attention to detail in its conception.





 I hope that your summer sewing is going well and that you've made something luxurious.  If you need to find joy in your sewing and get out of a functional rut, I recommend a maxi dress.  But I'm very curious to know what do you do when you get into a sewing rut?  Does the joy leak out of your sewing when you find yourself creating only functional pieces?

Thanks for reading!
Elizabeth
Also on Instagram at I Sew You Sew

Comments

  1. UnknownAugust 3, 2019 at 8:07 AM

    So, where are you wearing this wonderful dress? I recently made a maxi with a voluminous skirt and only wear it to church -- seems awkward to wear it to the grocery store!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ElizabethAugust 5, 2019 at 10:58 AM

      I wear it for a typical day, I love the flowy nature of it!

      Delete
  2. RobinAugust 3, 2019 at 10:26 AM

    What a beautiful creation! I love maxi dresses and this one is absolutely gorgeous, the fabric, the fit, and the style lines. When I am able to get in my sewing room, I usually want to make maxi dresses, caftans, and tunics. They're fun to make (so many possibilities) and comfortable to wear.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ElizabethAugust 5, 2019 at 11:00 AM

      Thank you Robin, I agree! I love the comfortable fit and feel of this dress it's a good mix of casual and dressy!

      Delete
  3. Allie CaseyAugust 4, 2019 at 8:36 AM

    That dress is as happy as you look in it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ann BrodskyAugust 5, 2019 at 11:48 AM

    I love this on you! You look so chic, confident and comfortable!

    ReplyDelete
  5. KS_Sews (Dressmakingbacles)August 5, 2019 at 12:12 PM

    It's gorgeous and yay for "sewing just because it's FUN!"

    ReplyDelete
  6. anne jewellAugust 5, 2019 at 8:29 PM

    ELIZABETH--THE LACE ON THE SLEEVE EDGES IS JUST THE RIGHT TOUCH--NOT TOO MUCH BUT NOT SO LITTLE AS TO DISAPPEAR. GREAT DETAIL1==ANNE

    ReplyDelete
  7. Frau Nähfreundins TagebuchAugust 6, 2019 at 10:52 AM

    Wonderful!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. ElizabethAugust 8, 2019 at 9:40 AM

    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  9. KimAugust 13, 2019 at 10:27 AM

    Great dress!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Michelle MorrisAugust 23, 2019 at 8:11 AM

    This is fabulous!!!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Recent Posts You Might Like

Sewing With Intention: New Look 6106 and a More Coordinated Wardrobe

By
Sometimes a sewing project begins with a beautiful piece of fabric or a pattern you just have to make. This one began with my closet. Recently, I did a major closet purge. I took a good look at what I actually wear, what I kept reaching for, and—maybe more importantly—what was missing. Once the pieces I no longer loved or wore were gone, something became very clear: I want to be more intentional about what I sew next. Instead of sewing individual pieces that I love but don't necessarily wear together, I want to build a wardrobe where my handmade garments coordinate with the clothes I already own—and with the pieces I'm planning to sew next. For this month's Fabricista project, this beautiful lightweight shirting from Fabric Mart turned out to be a wonderful place to start. The Fabric That Started It All Fabric Mart provided this beautiful oatmeal and black heathered shirting , along with the matching thread for my project. One of the things I love most about this fabric is ...
9 comments
Continue Reading »

Meeting Endless Summer Energy with a Maxi Dress

By
How are the temps still so hot?! I’m trying to make the best out of a blazing situation with a gorgeous swishy dress made in a splendid graphic print in an attempt to keep my cool when I am very much not. The heat persists, but so do I (while wearing sundresses)!  I really wanted a full length, all-fancy-design-details-included version of the new Chalk & Notch Noe Tank Dress since testing the pattern. This is View C. This version features a beautiful open back with a tie closure and the long gathered hem for maximum impact.  I chose the higher of two necklines. The pattern features full lining and I used the same fabric for both. I prefer to avoid any peeking-issues the easy way.  As I was scrolling through the challis options on the Fabric Mart site, this one stood out immediately, a beautiful kelly green with big abstract swipes of aqua. Simple, bold, (non-directional!), all of my favorite characteristics necessary for a showstopping dress. I wanted something very ...
2 comments
Continue Reading »

The Perfect Plan for this Linen Blend! Until I Changed My Mind.

By
Hello Sewing Friends!  It’s Sharon from Sharon Sews with another Fabricista make.  When I saw this linen blend designer fabric on the Fabric Mart Fabrics website, I was intrigued.  After all, I, like many of you, love to find designer fabrics at an affordable price. It is a linen/nylon/rayon/Lycra blend, and I wondered what the designer had created with the fabric as I wasn’t familiar with that combination of fibers.  Surprisingly, I discovered a sleeveless, lined, mid-length vest in the same color with an almost identical fabric composition. Perfect! I’ve been wanting to sew a longer vest with matching pants, and that discovery confirmed this fabric would work beautifully for the look I had in mind.  The vest I’m wearing, from the June 2026 Burda Style magazine, it is not what I was originally going to make.  You see when I found the designer’s vest, I remembered seeing a Butterick pattern that was almost identical.  I ordered the pattern excited to...
4 comments
Continue Reading »

Fall + Flannel = Shacket

By
If there is one piece that transitions easily between crisp fall mornings, mid-day warmth, and chilly autumn nights, it’s a shacket. Today, I’m excited to share my latest Fabric Mart make: the Ellie and Mac Patterns Connie Casual Shacket, sewn in a dreamy plaid flannel coating fabric . Here’s a glimpse at how it came together, along with a few construction tips for planning your own version! The Ellie and Mac Patterns Connie Casual Shacket pattern offers plenty of options needed to make the perfect transitional top layer for fall. With a relaxed body, oversized sleeves, three lengths, and a curved or straight hem option, you can make your dream shacket a reality.  For this sew, I selected a plaid flannel coating fabric with a soft blend of sage green and cream tones from the Fabric Mart website. Heavyweight flannel is ideal for a shacket because it provides structure and added warmth. As a bonus, this particular fabric is extra soft and snuggly, which I love. In addition to the fa...
1 comment
Continue Reading »