Recently I went to search pattern reviews for McCalls 7624 as I always do before sewing a new pattern. Sadly, there was little in terms of reviews and a lot of confusion regarding the sewing instructions. I decided to film my sewing to help others be able to see how to assemble this pattern. It was not without a couple hiccups along the way, but I hope the final video sew-along will help you be successful sewing your very own McCalls 7624 Maxi Dress.
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Supplies Needed for McCalls 7624 View D
-5 yards of 60inch wide fabric- I used this Art Gallery Rayon Challis from Minerva
Interfacing for the waistband, sleeve facings, and neck facings/band – I used Pellon SF 101
Basics for sewing: needle (I used microtex for rayon) thread (my favorite is gutermann) machine, scissors, and iron
Helpful Supplies: these are optional but highly recommended to make construction easier
Heat n Bond hem tape (to hold facings in place while stitching in the ditch to avoid hand sewing)
Frixion Marking Pens from Pilot – erase with heat (make sure to test your fabric first)
Tube turners – makes turning out the ties a breeze
Pattern Review: McCalls 7624 View D
This dress pattern has been out for several years. I have always wanted to sew view D as it reminds me of the very popular indie pattern, the Charlie Caftan. Be aware that the fabric requirements for this dress are more than a typical dress, anywhere between 4.5-7 yards for the maxi length. The top is a loose-fitting, cut on sleeve, with an elasticated back and waist ties. While the fit is intended to be generous, I found the top too loose. More on the fit below.
Sizing
The pattern comes in two size ranges (8-14) and (14-22). I cut the 10 top, grading to 12 waist as I usually do in big 4 patterns. I found the fit of the top way too loose and big. If I were to slightly bend forward, the top would have required a cami underneath. At the same time, there isn’t much room to take it in on the side seams because any tighter would have made it impossible to slip on and off over my head and shoulders. In the end, I took out about 1 inch on each side near the center band and took up the shoulder seam by 2 inches. This helped create a better fitting top for me. It is a tight fit to get on over my shoulders and I would not be able to take it in any further. Making these changes allows me to wear this dress with a regular bra and not worry about it being too loose and open.
Pattern Thoughts
After sewing McCalls 7624, I understand the confusion behind the band insertion. The pattern indicates you should skip instructions to create view D, and this leaves important steps undone. It could be written in a clearer way and that is why I filmed the construction. You will see I messed up in the construction and had to show how to fix it and how you would avoid that when putting it together. I also did not love all the hand sewing in the pattern so I show you how to use hem tape and stitching in the ditch for easy construction. The steps for sleeve facings can be done in a different order to save time. My sew-along will show you how you can install the facings in a quick, efficient and beautifully finished manner. The final change I made was the addition of bias tape along the waist seam to finish the edge. The video will demonstrate how to add this finishing- known as the Hong Kong finish to get a clean finish on the inside of your dress.
Final Thoughts
After creating this dress, I would change some things with future makes. I would leave off the interfacing at the sleeve facing in this lightweight fabric. It is far too stiff for my liking. I would make alterations to the bodice as mentioned above to get a better fit. Although I feel like I will enjoy wearing this dress, I am not sure that I would invest the fabric into this particular maxi length again. Overall I look forward to wearing this breezy dress this summer and maybe one day to a beach vacation.
Maxi Dress Sew Along
Here is the sew-along to construct McCalls 7624 View D.
Until Next Time,
Happy Sewing
About 18 years ago I decided to teach myself how to sew. Long before blogs and resources available today which meant it was often disastrous. But I never gave up because I loved it so much. Today I love helping others get started on their own sewing journey. You can read more about my family and I
Hi Shannon, I love your work and see you on Pattern Review (but I deplore that website and don’t participate over there anymore.) Thanks for this review — I have such an axe to grind with present-day McCall’s patterns! They consistently let me down, are stuffed with hand sewing not anticipated, and possess some of the worst or most labor intensive instructions around. Your caftan came out beautifully and you’re a dear to make a sew along. I confess I offloaded this pattern a while ago. I wanted it for the very same view — but I’ve been burned by McCall’s too many times.
I am glad you were able to find the review and sew-along helpful – it is so hard to adjust to big 4 instructions when I often sew indie pattern designs. I find the instructions, photos, fit, etc are so much more user-friendly in the indie pattern companies. I agree they need to be better 🙂 Thanks so much for reading and commenting.