PROJECT DETAILS

Status	Finished
Started	6/27/2022
Finished	7/4/2022
Pattern Name	McCalls 7974, View A
Designer / Company	McCalls
Size	10, To fit: 32" upper bust, 35" full bust, 26 3/4" waist, 30 3/4" High Hip
Fabric	"jelly bean fabric" Purchased at Mood
Notions	All Purpose Thread, 13 buttons (pattern states 1/2", I used 7/16" for this dress: Red, Spectrum Warm, 5 buttons each, Made in Thailand, purchased at Joann), TBA yds of fusible interfacing
Machines	Sewing, Serger

Notes

I’ve seen so many versions of this dress online. I decided to give it a try. I was a bit worried about the fit of the bodice on my bust. And indeed that was a problem area for me for this pattern.

Modifications (from muslin #1)

Back Piece: 1” Swayback adjustment, tapering from 1” to nothing at the side seam (started 3” above bottom edge); added 1” length at lengthen lines to match adjustments to Front Top Bust Piece
Front Top Bust Piece: Added 1” to bottom edge; used gathering stitches to ease into place; added slightly raised wedge to accommodate an extra button and to add a bit more coverage
Bodice Facing: Added matching, slightly raised wedge to match the top bust piece
Skirt Front + Side Back and Front: Shortened by 5”
Skirt Back: Shortened by 4”; took in 1” at side seam (to match skirt side pieces) and tapered out to full 5” at center back [to accommodate a full seat)
Used the following construction methods as outlined in the Sewing Therapy tutorial:
- Staystitched all bias cut areas

Resources

Cutting and sewing dress facings // Pattern.Scissors.Cloth // Website
M7974 Sizing, Tracing, and Altering the Pattern // Kittenish Behaviour // Youtube
M7974 Sew Along Tutorial // Sewing Therapy // Youtube
M7974 Sewing Tutorial: Raising the Neckline // Paige Handmade // Blog
How to Sew a Bias Tape Finish // Professor Pincushion // Youtube Tutorial
How To: Manual Buttons // Made to Sew // Youtube
Reddit // Recommendations around Automatic Buttonhole issues // Reddit Thread

Final Thoughts

The deep v-neck is really low for how I’d like to wear the dress. Next time I would make adjustments to the bust pieces to raise the v-neck. Also, the bodice fit was very difficult for me to nail. After I ended up truly analyzing the bodice fit, I realized that there was significant gaping. I hastily made some (not pretty on the inside) adjustments and ended up turning a dud (in nice fabric) into a wearable summer dress.

Next time, I would also lengthen the skirt a bit more.

Here are some tutorials I may use for next time:

Altering McCalls 7974 // Enchanted Rose Costumes // Youtube
How to Raise a Low V Neckline (M 8020) // Inside the Hem // Youtube