McCall’s 7325

I’ve been obsessed with recreating a RTW dress I spotted from Daughters of India. When I saw the #m7325 from McCall’s, I knew it was a very close match. It turns out I’m not the only one who has had the same idea and there are some beautiful version of it on Instagram. I sourced some very similar Indian block print directly from India and set to work. 

I went with my bust measurement and made a size small as recommended in the sizing chart. I decided I wanted fuller sleeves so used the iconic #m7969 (which of course we’ve all got the free PDF download, thanks Minerva😍). I basically blended the lower portion of the sleeves and kept the original sleeve head. I also shortened the bodice by 1.5 inches. Originally I went full on maxi and used as much of the 4.5 yards that I could. The fabric is only 90cm wide so I lay the skirt pattern pieces on the cross grain. I have to confess after I basted the skirt to the bodice and tried it on, I felt a bit ridiculous and I wasn’t pulling off the look cottage core vibes I was after. So after much pondering whether to change it to midi, mini or a top, I decided to go for a mini dress and lengthened the tunic pattern piece by 10cm. I think I may have gone a little too short but I’ll leave it for now. I can always add another tier later to make it midi or shorten it into a top like the original pattern. The final touches were cutting up an old bracelet and adding some beads to the bottom of the neck ties. 

The construction was relatively quick once you get over all the gathering. There isn’t anything too tricky as there aren’t any fastenings. I did add a few extra steps and used some iron on interfacing at the bodice split, as felt it needed a little reinforcing and also added fabric neckties with the same pattern pieces used for the bottom of the m7969 sleeves. Overall I’m really pleased with this recreation. I love how floaty it feels on and it is super comfy to wear. 

I love how sewing gives us the ability to get inspiration from a ready to wear dress and recreate it in our own way! Have you tried recreating a ready to wear dress?