If you’ve been following me, you’ll know that last year I gave myself a goal of having a wardrobe that comprised of only #MeMade and true vintage clothing. Please note this does not include basics like undies and socks. I gots some tig ole bittys and only a skilled iron worker can craft my bras. But I digress.

I started out trying to work through my scrap fabrics and old patterns. You can see a lot of what I made in this post. I made a lot of progress with my wardrobe. But once I did my New Year’s purge I was left with a lot of room in my closet. And as any sewist knows, that just won’t do.

So I dug into my pattern collection and pulled out one of the McCall’s I recently bought.

Pattern: McCall’s Archive Collection (M7086)

Fabric: 4yds of Downtown Collective Anti-Static Lining Fabric 59"-Ditsy Floral Yellow purchased from Joann

Style: ¾ sleeved, A-line, tea-length dress

Vintage/Contemporary: Vintage

Original/Repro: Reproduction

Era: 1960s

Pattern Edits:

Since the fabric is lining and not fashion fabric, it’s super thin. So I added a lining to the dress to give it a little more weight. Don’t judge me. I stay using non-fashion fabrics for fashion. I once made a jacket out of upholstery and it was fucking gorgeous.
I added a layer of tulle in between the skirt and skirt lining. I really love when tulle peeks out of the bottom of a rockabilly dress. It just makes me squirt.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate-Overall, the dress was easy to make. They bow on the bodice was tedious, but not difficult. I will say that this dress took me longer than usual. But that is because I decided to not only pay attention to the directions but to also follow them. Normally when I make a dress (because I’ve been doing it for so long) I can put it together without looking at the instructions. But what also usually happens is that I inevitably mess something up along the way trying to be a fast ass.

Lessons Learned:

Tulle is awesome and easy to use…but only when sandwiched in between two other fabrics for the purpose of stabilization. By itself, tulle is a punk bitch and I hate it.
I didn’t have to take apart this dress at all. That is, I didn’t make any major mistakes. Thus, I should follow directions more often.
I really need to invest in a serger machine so that my pieces can have a super clean and finished look. I’ve got a bunch of workarounds that look clean. But I think a serger would just be easier than the foolishness I go through.

I really enjoyed making this piece. It was just challenging enough to keep me focused and engaged but not to drive me insane. I can’t wait to wear it. I might need to take it out for my birthday. Stay tuned for pics of that.

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The Road to a #MeMade Wardrobe: McCall’s M7086