McCalls 7683 How to Sew a DIY Formal Dress

Yes, I’m sewing a dress, McCalls 7683 just for a celebration. Isn’t that the best kind of sewing?

This past year was the year I learned to sew on demand, like Netflix or something, and I have life’s peculiarity to thank for that.  Looking back,  maybe it was the year of renewed and canceled friendships.   

 As a result, I felt freer, younger, and happier.  No longer am I holding on to yesterday’s brokenness, I am clinging to today’s newness.  As freshness has it, we were invited to many gatherings with our new crew necessitating all sorts of specialty garments.  To top it off, I began to enjoy my individualized sewing challenges, and I stopped claiming any failure when a garment didn’t come together just right.

My favorite evening wear patterns were Simplicity 8330 and McCalls 7683.   Thinking back, sewing for a special occasion was the statement of the year.  I made several sparkly frocks!

Fabric is my friend, and procrastination was my secret lover.  Lots of procrastination….for real.

It’s funny because when you watch shows like ‘Project Runway‘ in which real designers are sewing on-demand with almost instant inspiration, you forget that often the full concept takes time to mature.  Thus, sewing in an instant or fast sewing becomes a specific tangible challenge.  

This past year, my love for hard-to-work-with fabrics grew–luxury slinky knits, furs, sequins, laminated cotton–all of that. 

 They are a real hurdle complete with skinned knees when you miss the mark. Money lost, time seemingly wasted,  some of my projects bombed majorly.  

I’ve accidentally messed up so many sequined projects; it’s shameful, but I’m proud of the progress.  It’s like getting a math problem wrong on the homework but getting it right on the test.  When you finally get it right, it’s fantastic. 

McCalls 7683 is fit for partying like a rockstar, and in style at that.  The most straightforward patterns well-executed are the ones that make the biggest splash.  I made view D complete with a front slit and a magnificent train.  What girl doesn’t love a swanky dress with a train?  

It’s our 21st anniversary this year, and out of pure tradition, we celebrate our anniversary twice per year.  I will never forget the anniversary I cried the entire day because we were so broke we could barely make it to the dinner destination, eat and get back home.  He looked at me, wiped my tears, and smiled and said, “it won’t always be like this now let’s eat.” Of all the anniversaries, that one (I won’t say what number), is the most memorable.  I made this McCalls 7683 to wear to a friend’s 50th-anniversary party.  I smiled so much during the celebration my cheeks hurt at the end. 50 years, wow…

At the celebration, we danced the night away with this gown moving to each and every beat.  This dress made with stretch velvet from Minerva.com  showcases a brilliant front slit and an elegant train that made me float like a teenage prom queen. 

 The hardest thing about this McCalls 7683 dress was walking–you read that right.  Walking without tripping or tripping others was a thang.  I had to hold the dress much of the night except for dinner.  It drags the ground, so I would recommend hiring a dress holder (LOL). 

 I had to make several adjustments to the side seams and the shoulder seam to make it petite and properly form-fitting, despite sewing my size, generally 12-14. 

My favorite thing about this pattern is the fact that it is incredibly attractive but maintains a high degree of modesty.