McCall's 7591 Maxi Dress in Italy

Fabric Homecoming

Back in December 2017, I made McCall's 7591 maxi dress using Italian Cotton/Viscose Challis. The dress was in my carry-on luggage when I visited Italy last month. It was lovely to wear it in Venice. 

It was great that the dress was loose-fitting and the skirt was unlined because Venice was hot and humid. You want air between you and fabric.

McCall's 7591 View D can be worn day and/or night depending on the fabric you choose. To make your dress work, fabric must be soft and drapey. 

I love this dress enough to recommend McCall's 7591 View D.

Pattern: McCall's 7591 View D 

Fabric: Printed Italian Cotton/Viscose Challis from Elliott Berman Textiles

You can also see the dress on dress form on my previous post 

McCall's 7591 Maxi Dress

Follow me on Instagram @sabotenfree to see more travel photos from Italy!

See you when I sew something :)
Until then, happy sewing💛

$100 Sewing Machine

***日本語の記事は英語の記事の下をご覧ください。

I bought Brother XR-65 15 years ago. I think the price was a little over $100. Back then there were not many petite-size clothing available so I needed a basic machine to hem up my skirt and pants. What I wanted for the machine was really simple - straight stitch, zigzag stitch, and button hall. Just thinking about how much joy that the machine brought to my life over years, it is one of the best $100 I have ever spent.

All the things I have posted on this blog were sewn with this $100 machine. There are some clothes that I have worn more frequently than others.

Vogue 8784 Cotton Wrap Dress
Great day dress that took me from workplace with a casual dress code to day trip to a winery.

Simplicity 2443 Cynthia Rowley Jacket

Cotton double knit made this jacket really comfortable to wear. I love the hand stitch detail all over the jacket. 

Hand-Painted Cotton Skirt

After so many wears, this skirt still keeps its shape thanks to the horsehair braid hem.

CH Cocktail Dress
I love everything about this dress. I spent long hours to analyze the original design and mix and match patterns... it was pure joy. I have already worn it so many times, but my closet still has a designated room for this dress.

But really, what you can get from $100 sewing machine is not just custom-made dresses. Beside sewing techniques, you learn about fabric, yarn, and fabric mills. You read up on your favorite fashion designers and fashion history. You get to know yourself - your size, body type, and what works for you. You discover colors. You find yourself being able to spot high-quality material and construction during shopping. You will acquire art of living through learning sewing - and it does not require high-end machine to begin with. 

My Brother XR-65 started to make noises and jammed often while I was sewing the maxi dress last month. I think the time I graduate from the beginner machine has come. So this post is a thank-you and goodbye note to my Brother XR-65, a super awesome $100 sewing machine.

長年愛用してきたブラザーのミシンを買ったのは15年前。確か100ドルちょっとでした。当時アメリカではまだ現在のようにPetiteサイズが普及していなかったので、ジーンズの裾上げなどちょっとしたお直しを自分でしたかったのです。ちょこちょこお直しをするうちに、自分にぴったりの服を着るにはいっそのこといちから作ってしまえばいいのでは、と思うようになりました。

これまでこのブログにのせてきた服はすべてこの100ドルのミシンで縫ったものです。作った服は出来上がった直後に捨ててしまわなければ普段実際に愛用しています。そのなかでも特に頻繁に着ている服というのも存在します。

でも…100ドルのミシンで得られるものってカスタムメイドの服だけではないんです。裁縫技術のほかにも、布や糸、布を作る世界中の老舗の工場について学んだり、好きなデザイナーやファッション史を読み込んだり。自分のサイズや体形、似合うもの、似合わないものを知ったり、色についての知識も増えるし、買い物に行けば一目で高級な素材や縫製を見抜けるようになっていたり。服作りを学ぶということはart of livingを会得することでもあり、高級なミシンを初めから使わなくとも身につけることは十分可能です。

さて、ずっと愛用してきたミシン、先月マキシドレスを縫っていると今まで聞いたことのない音を立て頻繁に糸が絡むようになってしまいました。15年…そろそろ寿命かな。そろそろこの初心者用ミシンを卒業するときがきたようです。