Simple Summer Dress

 I wanted a simple linen dress for summer, and this linen/cotton blend from Robert Kaufman’s Essex line seemed like the perfect choice. I chose McCall’s 7408 for my pattern, and while it turned out exactly like the picture on the front, I did change several parts of this pattern to make it easier and more the way I wanted. 

First, I raised the “v” of the placket by 1”. I was suspicious of how low it seemed when I cut out the pattern piece, so I measured it and decided it would be more useful in my life if it was a little higher. 

Next, when I tried to sew the placket on, I could not get the points to be even. No amount of pins or markings seemed to make a difference. So, after ripping it out twice, I threw the towel in and sewed the “v” together, cut it out, ironed the placket into the shape I wanted, and then inserted the dress front into it and topstitched it down. My stitching shows more, but I’m fine with that. Sometimes it is easier to do what you know will work instead of insisting on doing what the pattern says. 

Because I did the placket that way, I thought it best to do the neckline the same way so it matched. 

Lastly, instead of doing the facings, I chose to line the dress. It was easy enough to attach it at the arm holes (like doing a vest), insert the lining with the fabric into the placket and neckband, finish the sides off with French seams, and then hem both pieces. I chose a cotton lawn to keep it lightweight and breathable, and now I have a perfect summer dress to wear in the Midwest humidity.