DIY Wrap Dress | McCall M7627 with MaggieElaine + Stylish Fabric


Fall is almost upon us, which means pre-fall patterns have been released from the Big 4 pattern companies! Fall is undoubtedly my favorite season, so I am eager to see what other designs come out and for the cooler weather. I don’t know about you, but I’m always in awe of the beautiful fall color schemes. So, I can’t wait to load my wardrobe up with some burnt orange, yellow, dark green, and burgundy makes!

To kick things off with the pre-fall patterns, I am doing a collaboration with Tee of MaggieElaine.com. We decided to try out McCall M7627 pattern along with the new Indigo Chambray fabric with punched holes from Stylish Fabric. I’ll be showcasing view C of the pattern, while Tee will be showing off view B. We will be giving away this fabric and the pattern to one lucky winner, so keep reading for giveaway details!

So, let’s start with the pattern. When we were deciding on which pattern to use from the pre-fall collections, we both immediately agreed on M7627. I absolutely loved the look and styling of view B and thought that view C would be a cute make as well. Ironically, I don’t own any wrap dresses, so this pattern was a perfect addition to my wardrobe. Additionally, I was inspired to make a dress similar to this yellow dress that I already own:

As you can see, the fabric has punched holes as well, which made the chambray fabric a perfect choice for this pattern.
The actual construction of this garment wasn’t hard at all. In fact, it only took a day to make, once cut. The cutting was actually the tedious part for me. I have one word about this pattern…SPACE. You need lots of space to get these pieces cut out. This was especially true with the skirt and tie pieces. Even with my cutting table, which is 4 X 4, I still had to maneuver to get everything cut out. I was determined to not have to cut this on the floor– mainly because I didn’t make a cutting table to not use it– but also because I like to cut with my rotary cutter. So, I did the the unthinkable….? I moved the fabric mid cut so that it could all be done on the table. 
Once I got through the cutting, everything else was pretty straight forward. When I say that this construction wasn’t hard, I mean that the instructions were clear and there was no advance techniques needed. The most you will do is edgestitch and understitch– both fairly basic concepts. I use a blind hem foot for my edgestitching, so if you have one or an edgestitch foot, they will be useful. I did decide to line my garment, because you can see through the holes, so those were additional cutting and sewing steps that you don’t have to do.

Sizing
Let’s talk about sizing. I’m not sure if I just missed it, or if the pattern didn’t have finished bust measurements, but ultimately, I cut the wrong size. I cut a size 16, as I normally do, but did no fitting. BAD IDEA! I put on my lovely, finished garment, only for the entire bodice to be too large.

I tried every which way to make it work without making alterations, but the bodice needed to be shortened by at least 2 inches. Well, there lies a problem. To do that would mean completely taking apart the entire dress, lining included. That was not an option for me. So, the only other option was for me to take it up from the shoulders. I was able to take up 1.5 inches from the shoulders without losing the pleat detail or making the armscye too small. It still isn’t perfect, but it works. I’m able to camouflage this error a bit with the belt, so it’s not too noticeable.

Lesson…do a tissue fitting for the bodice. If I had done so, I probably would have cut a size 12 or 14 for the whole dress.

Fabric
The Chambray from Stylish Fabrics was a nice choice for this pattern. It was very easy to sew up, save the holes getting caught a few times on my blind hem foot. No big deal. I thought this fabric gave the look some texture and definitely gave a simple wrap dress some character.

My only advice for the fabric would be to do a good pre-wash. Though I did a pre-wash, I found that there was still some dye bleeding as I was sewing. I just gave the dress a wash once I was done and that solved the problem.  My suggestion would be to either pre-wash multiple times to be safe or make sure you have a really good laundry detergent– something like Oxyclean.

I mentioned that I lined my garment due to the holes in the fabric. This is optional, as the proper undergarments can address that issue. However, the yellow dress that I have has lining, so I thought that it would be good to line this one for practice, if not for anything else. I purchased my lining fabric from Joann.

Be mindful that you will need to finish your edges to avoid fraying. I used my serger; however, you can finish your edges however you see fit. I’ll admit that I was completely lazy on my hem. I just finished the edge and turned up the hem. Since it is curved, you should follow the curved hem instructions in the pattern….if you want to. ?

The pattern does call for interfacing, so if you use this fabric, I would recommend using a black interfacing. I wasn’t too particular about it since it was only for the neckline facing, so it’s not seen when on. But if you’re particular about it, go for black, as the white does peep through a bit.

Tee’s Take

Ok. Enough of view C. Here’s what Tee had to say about view B!

First of all, OMG, how beautiful is this top? I absolutely love this pattern (McCall’s M7627 View B). I really enjoyed working with this fabric, it was easy to cut and sew. I think the detail of the fabric really made this wrap shirt stand out. The punched holes look like polka dots. I found this pattern easy to make, but I will say it was a lot of “busy” work to get it done. In general, the bodice and peplum of the top came together rather quickly; however, the sleeves required a little time…. Read more on Tee’s blog! 

Conclusion
Overall, I think that this is a cute addition to my wardrobe. I wore this dress at a speaking engagement and got tons of compliments…and requests to purchase. ? And can we just talk about how gorgeous Tee’s version is in view B? She absolutely nailed it! As you can see, this fabric is perfect for any of the views.

As for the pattern, I would only recommend the pattern to an advanced beginner or above. If you’re just starting out, the edgestitching, understitching, and gathering may be a bit much to do in one project. As always, follow the instructions. I often read and re-read to make sure I fully understand what I should do.

Giveaway Details

Open to US residents only
You must be subscribed to both blogs
Comment on both blogs on how you would use the fabric & what view you’d use for the pattern.
One (1) winner will be randomly selected & announced via social media on Friday, Aug. 25.

0 Responses

  3. I would sew up view A. I love your dress and the fact that you alerted us to the fit problems in the bodice. Thank you!!! R

  5. This is beautiful! Girl you are going to make me start sewing. I am always excited to see what you have created next! I admire your zest for creating and it shows.

  6. Thank Fo for the review!! OMG!! This pattern and the fabric are a hit. Both of you ladies did a most magnificent job!!!

    I purchased this pattern in my last purchase and was drawn to View C for the dress and View A for the top (not to sure if I'm ready to tackle those sleeves yet.)

    Loved the bias tape finish — I'm currently obsessed with finishing my garment this way. Oh My Gosh — lining the dress what a undertaking.

    ??????

  7. Thank you!! The lining wasn't too bad. For the skirt, I literally just attached it to the bodice and called it a day. Trying to cut it to the actual skirt piece sizes would've been too much. Since I wasn't using the lining to finish the arm, I just serged it with the fabric and finished it as norma. Nothing major.

  14. Everything you do is stunning. You certainly have a designing eye. Your fabric choice is spot on? I don't know which view I like the most, but I do want, and need a dress! I adore the top. Crazy for the sleeves.
    I definitely will do both.

  17. Really cute fabric, tp and dress. I would sew View A and make some pants to go with it . The real question is slim leg or wide…

  21. Ms. FoAlexander! You really did your thing when it came down to view C of the McCalls 7627 dress; you're owning it and I love it! After checking out your version and maggieelaine's version I am so inspired! Just a few days ago I ordered the pattern because of view B, I thought that it was a great pattern to have in my stash, but now I know it's more than great it's awesome! The chambray fabric selection from stylishfabric.com is a true winner and I would use it to make view B and if I can squeeze out a pencil skirt to match…well, the rest would be HERstory! Thank you for sharing and inspiring me to make this awesome pattern!

  25. Beautiful fabric! As I read this, I realized that I do not have a wrap dress in my wardrobe either. I guess that is because I have a large chest and fear gapping. This pattern, however, looks like there is sufficient crossover for a more robust chest. Lovely dress!

  28. I think it will be. I'm on the other end of the spectrum, so my first attempt was too big. Check out Erica Bunker's latest video. She talks about full bust adjustments. That might help you out with this one.

  32. Beautiful dress I just purchased the pattern and ran across this post. I will definitely take the sizing tip into consideration. I’m also thinking of extending the belt.