Sew a Summer Dress with NEW! Crepe Knit Fabrics and Quick Pattern Fitting Tips

Sew a Summer Dress with NEW! Crepe Knit Fabrics and Quick Pattern Fitting Tips

Looking for a fresh new addition to your summer wardrobe? Sew a super-simple empire dress with with our NEW! Crepe Knits! Like other knit garments, this dress is stylish and comfortable to wear. Our knit dress and top collection, M7353 from The McCall Pattern Company, sews up quickly – from just three main pattern pieces!

Choose View C Cowel Neck, or View B Scoop Neck. Then choose one of our four NEW! limited edition Crepe Knit Fabrics and stitch a beautiful new knit pull-over dress! And/or wear as a tunic–when you pair with leggings.

Our McCall’s M7353 Dress Pattern is available multi-sized 6–14, and multi-sized 14–22.

Depending upon your fabric choice, this quick-to-sew fashion can be made for daywear, your next vacation, casual lunch dates, or even evening wear.

Sew A New Summer Dress in 4 Hours!

With McCall’s M7353 Dress Pattern, the sewing time is minimal! In fact, the dolman-sleeve style eliminates setting in sleeves. How speedy it that! Plus, we know you’ll enjoy the elastic casing technique; the elastic is sandwiched within the seam – eliminating the traditional topstitching step.

Sew a Super-Quick and Comfortable Summer Dress – with NZP’s NEW! Crepe Knit Fabrics

• 3 yd. NEW! NZP Limited Edition Crepe Knit Fabrics
• McCalls’ M7353 Dress Pattern
• Clover’s 5-in-1 Sliding Gauge
• Clover’s Curve Ruler Set
• Clover’s Flex ‘n Glide Bodkins
• Clover’s 6-in-1 Stick ‘n Stitch Seam Guide
• Clover’s I Sew For Fun Heart-Shaped Pins
• Clover’s I Sew For Fun Marking Pen
• Clover’s Hot Ruler
• Clover’s Heart Shaped Magnetic Pin Cushion
• Pellon’s Easy-Knit Interfacing, 5 yd. Pack
• Eze-View Press Cloth
• 1/4″ Elastic
• Schmetz Chrome Jersey Stretch Ball Point Needles Size 80/12 or
  
• Schmetz Stretch Ball Point Needles Size 75/11
• Schmetz Ball Point Stretch 4.0 Double Needle Size 75/11
• Open Toe Presser Foot
• Iron

Layout Pattern on Fabric

• Choose one of our NEW! limited edition Crepe Knit Fabrics, and layout pattern pieces following the pattern guide sheet.

Deanna from Team NZP chose Grape Floral Crepe for her summer dress! Our Floral Crepe in Grape features a beautiful floral design – that repeats every 24″. Purchase 3 yards to make our McCall’s M7353 Pattern in any size, 6-22.

• After laying out the bodice front, bodice back, and skirt pattern pieces, slide the pattern pieces up or down and position the floral repeated design where you’d like. Pin pattern pieces in place.

Deanna chose to locate the center of the floral repeat at the empire waist line. The photo above shows the skirt front already cut out and placed on the skirt back pattern piece, before cutting out skirt back. This helps align the repeated floral design on both the front and back skirt panels.

Before cutting out the fabric pieces, Deanna turned the scoop neckline into a round neckline – by raising the center front neck opening 1″ – using Clover’s Curve Ruler. She also lengthened the bodice front and bodice back, adding 1″ for a fuller bustline, as most patterns are drafted for a size B-cup: Add 1/2″ for each cup size.

Sew Our Summer Dress

Before sewing your new summer dress, cut several 1/2″ wide bias strips of Pellon’s Easy-Knit Interfacing – to stabilize dress neckline, sleeve hems, and lower dress hem!

•  Using an Eze-View Press Cloth, fuse 1/2″ wide bias strips of Pellon’s Easy-Knit Interfacing to wrong side of bodice front and back – at neckline.

• With right sides together, align front and back at shoulders. Pin.

  A Crepe Knit dress is an ideal sewing project to stitch on a serger sewing machine. Be sure to place pins parallel to seam edges – when stitching your dress with a serger!

• Insert a new Schmetz Stretch Ball Point Needle Size 75/11 into sewing machine.
• Stitch shoulder seams. Press seams flat, then press towards bodice back.

  If you don’t have a serger handy, stitch your summer dress with a sewing machine set for a wobble stitch. A wobble stitch is a slight zigzag stitch set at 2.0-2.5 length and .5 width. This stitch appears as a straight stitch from the right side, while providing a slight amount of stretch to the seam.

• Follow pattern instructions for adding neck facing, or simply fold under 1/2″ at neckline and pin.

• Use a coverstitch on a serger, or insert a Schmetz Ball Point Stretch 4.0 Double Needle Size 75/11 into sewing machine, and thread sewing machine with two spools of thread – guiding both threads through the machine guides as one thread, and separate threads at needles.
• Attach an Open Toe Presser Foot to sewing machine.

• On right side of fabric, topstitch neckline with Double Needle stitching!

Topstitching knits with a Double Needle produces a professional appearance, and allows seams to slightly stretch – without breaking threads! Or, use a coverstitch on a serger.

• Press neckline with Eze-View Press Cloth.

• Using the Eze-View Press Cloth, fuse 1/2″ wide bias strips of Pellon’s Easy-Knit Interfacing to wrong side of sleeve hems.

• With right sides together, align front and back at underarm seams. Pin.

• Stitch underarm seams.

• Fold under 1/2″ at sleeve hems and pin.
• On right side of fabric, topstitch sleeve hems with Double Needle stitching, or use a coverstitch on a serger.

• Set bodice unit aside.

• With right sides together, align pockets to skirt front, and to skirt back. Pin.

• Stitch pockets to skirt front and skirt back. Using Eze-View Press Cloth, press seams flat, then press towards pockets.

• Align skirt front to skirt back, matching pockets and side seams. Pin.
• At sewing machine, stitch side seams with a wobble stitch, leaving pocket opening between dots.

• Stitch pocket outer edges together to side seams, pivoting stitching below pockets and stitching to hem.
• Turn pockets toward front, along side-seams. Pin. Machine baste pocket tops to skirt front.

• With right sides together, insert bodice unit into skirt unit. Pin.

• Using  Clover’s 5-in-1 Sliding Gauge, attach 6-in-1 Stick ‘n Stitch Seam Guide to sewing machine – place at 7/8″ from center needle.
  

• Stitch bodice to skirt with 7/8″ seam allowance.
• Optional: Grade bodice seam allowance to 1/4″ – to eliminate bulk in seam. Be sure to not trim away skirt seam allowance!
• Press waistline up towards bodice. Pin.

Insert a rotary cutting mat into dress, and pin waistline seam to lower bodice. The rotary mat prevents inadvertently pinning through all layers! 

• Using Marking Pen and ruler, mark a stitching line at 3/4″ above stitched waist seam. Stitch along marked line to form elastic casing, leaving 2-3″ opening near side seam – for inserting elastic.

• Stitch one end of elastic to a fabric rectangle. Stitch and backstitch through the elastic and fabric several times. Thread opposite end of elastic through locking eye of Clover’s Flex ‘n Glide Bodkin.

The bernette 42 FUNLOCK Coverstitch only Machine features coverstitch options in 2.8 mm and 5.6 mm widths, plus a chain stitch!

Our New Summer Dress is complete!

Spring Dress Supplies Listing

• 3 yd. NEW! Limited Edition Crepe Knit Fabrics
• McCalls’ M7353 Dress Pattern
• Clover’s 5-in-1 Sliding Gauge
• Clover’s Curve Ruler Set
• Clover’s Flex ‘n Glide Bodkins
• Clover’s 6-in-1 Stick ‘n Stitch Seam Guide
• Clover’s I Sew For Fun Heart-Shaped Pins
• Clover’s I Sew For Fun Marking Pen
• Clover’s Hot Ruler
• Clover’s Heart Shaped Magnetic Pin Cushion
• Pellon’s Easy-Knit Interfacing, 5 yd. Pack
• Eze-View Press Cloth
• 1/4″ Elastic
• Schmetz Chrome Jersey Stretch Ball Point Needles Size 80/12 or
  
• Schmetz Stretch Ball Point Needles Size 75/11
• Schmetz Ball Point Stretch 4.0 Double Needle Size 75/11
• Open Toe Presser Foot
• Iron

Learn more about the bernette b64 AIRLOCK Overlocker at ShopNZP.com!

Learn more about the bernette b42 Coverstitch only Machine at ShopNZP.com!

Shop NZP’S NEW! Limited Edition Crepe Knit Fabrics at ShopNZP.com

Shop Books & Patterns at ShopNZP.com

Shop Elastic, Cotton Webbing, Zippers & More at ShopNZP.com

 If you’re traveling through the Wisconsin countryside this summer, make plans to visit the The Nancy Had a Notion History Exhibit! The exhibit will be on display on the 2nd floor of The Nancy Zieman Sewing Studio–Now easily accessible by our new elevator, Monday through Saturday this summer!

Beat the heat and join us in the air conditioned Nancy Zieman Sewing Studio Classroom for our NEW! Quilting Group–meeting the second Thursday of each month–at The Nancy Zieman Sewing Studio! Sign Up in-store or online, Today at ShopNZP.com!

View the NEW Class Schedule and Sign Up in-store or online, Today at ShopNZP.com!

Save