McCalls M7683: First Make Nine Project of 2023

I ended up choosing the perfect project for my first make of 2023. McCalls M7683 is a surprisingly simple pattern with size adjustments for petites already included in the pattern that actually work.

I bought this fabric specially for this pattern at the end of 2020, but I’ve been scared to cut into it until I could figure out the fit of the dress. The funny thing is that I’ve been burned by the fit of so many past patterns that I actually overthought the fit in my mock up.

I actually made two mock ups of the bodice out of a leftover yard of knit fabric I already owned. For the first mock up I added three inches to the waist and it ended up way too big. I made a second mock up going a size smaller on the pattern–matching my high bust measurement–and it fit perfectly! Been working with woven fabric for so long that I forgot how forgiving a good knit fabric could be.

And speaking of the fabric, the fabric for this dress is gorgeous. It’s called Double Brushed Knit Fabric Dusty Blue Floral from Jo-Ann’s and besides it being incredibly soft, it’s also thick enough that it isn’t transparent even when you stretch it out. And it keeps a beautiful drape. I definitely didn’t want to get the fit wrong with this fabric.

I ended up spending three weekends to make this project, starting at the last weekend of December and ending the third weekend of January. While the pattern and instructions are simple, the one thing this pattern forces you to learn is how to sew a narrow hem. Since I chose the one-shoulder bodice and circle skirt (M7683 lets you mix and match different tops and skirts), I had to sew a narrow hem for one underarm seam and for the hem of the flouce of the bodice and the bottom of the skirt. Between ironing, pinning, and sewing, it took me close to three hours to finish the skirt hem. Hey, I was determined to take my time and actually try to sew all my seams correctly, and apparently three hours is what it takes to correctly sew a circle skirt hem.

I’m also pretty proud of using understitching around the top of the blouse to keep the flounce in place. Because the fabric is so thick the flounce kept pulling down on the neckline, causing the inside of the blouse to roll out. Understitching was something I’ve skipped in a lot of sewing projects because it seemed a bit complex, and I was too excited to get to finishing it to really sit down and learn. But since I’ve finally forced myself to take my time and learn with the Star Wars tank top I made last fall, it’s become something I’ve gotten the hang of and can incorporate into other projects. The coolest part is that the pattern instructions didn’t even call for it. I thought that understitching might help keep the neckline in place, and I was so proud of myself to find out that I was right.

The stitching, fabric choice, and fit for this dress have been the best I’ve done in the last two years, and I can’t wait to get the opportunity to wear it out! I was so happy with how this dress turned out that I bought fabric to make a stretch holographic and stretch pleather dress using a different top and skirt design out of the same pattern. Hopefully I’ll have time to make it this year.

For now, my second make nine project for the year will be the Betsey Johnson swing jacket with the flannel and satin I bought about a month ago. This pattern is a true vintage printed in 1973, and I’m so excited to use this pattern. It almost feels like I’m sewing history, especially in a decade whose style I’ve admired for years.