DIY Batwing Dress in Purple Ponte Knit | McCall’s M7991

It’s 2020 and I have no more time to be afraid of stretch fabrics! It’s time to push myself, practice, and learn the needles, stitches, and presser feet to make the switch from wovens to knits. 

This ponte knit dress came together really quickly – once I got out of my own head and started sewing! The best way to sew stretch fabrics is with an overlocker. But, when you’re making a pattern for the first time, it’s always a good idea to baste your pieces together to check for fit. I tried several times to baste scrap fabric with a walking foot but my machine kept jamming. Ultimately I gave up on basting, pinned the skirt on my body in 2 key places, and made a quick adjustment to stitch the widest part of my hip with only 3/8″ seam allowance. Stitching all of the pieces on my serger was super fast and easy!

I have a feeling this dress is going to be in heavy rotation in my wardrobe! It’s the kind of style I can wear to day parties and night parties alike. It’s sexy enough for a date night and demure enough for a business meeting. It also happens to be one of my favorite colors. 

Now that I’m pushing into my fear of sewing with knits, a world of possibilities opens up. What new knits should I sew?

Pattern

• McCall’s M7991, View C
• Sewing Difficulty – 1/5
  • ‘Learn to Sew’ patterns are great for beginners! 
• Fit Difficulty – 1/5
  • It took a fair bit of calculating to be sure I was making the right choices with fit, but ultimately it did not require drastic changes.
• I definitely want to make this again in a print!

Fabric

• Grape Ponte Knit from Fabscrap
• Check out my IGTV for video of this discounted fabric haul.

Fit & Modifications

• I added 1 1/2″ at the bodice lengthen and shorten lines to lengthen the pattern to meet my waist
• Cut the top pattern at a size large based on my bust measurement but graded to medium at my waist and through the sleeve
• Used the sleeve length of the XL pattern to lengthen the sleeves
• I narrowed the sleeve cuff by 5/8″ to better fit my forearm
• Added 1 1/8″ at the bottom lengthen and shorten lines to add length through my hips
• To avoid a wardrobe malfunction, I put a couple of stitches in the top at the point where the 2 sides overlap. I might switch those threads to a tiny snap if they start to pull at my fabric.

Tips

• To avoid cutting the knit threads, sew using a ball point needle.
• The pattern instructions call for stitching at the seam line then stitching again 1/4″ in the seam allowance. To speed up sewing and make for clean seam lines, you can sew everything on an overlocker (AKA serger).
• Because of the waist casing and elastic, you cannot sew the waist seam with an overlocker. Instead, use a stretch stitch and a regular presser foot.
• The front band and the sleeve cuffs on View C both require you to stretch one piece of the fabric to match another. To stretch evenly and hold it in place, I recommend lots of clips. 
• A blind hem on a serger is a great choice to hem knit fabric and maintain the stretch.

Tutorials that were helpful

• Learn to sew a blind hem on a serger with this tutorial.