Notes on a Pattern - McCall M7929

Today's "Notes on a Pattern" is for McCall M7929.  

I couldn't skip this step in the fit process.  I wanted to be sure about the fit before I cut into my fashion fabric.  Luckily, the changes that I initially made to the tissue pattern were very close to what is needed to make this top work for me.  

In these notes, my main focus was the fitting the front bodice.  My muslin is a combination of view B and D.  It helps me to see how it all comes together and how it will look on me.

Below are the tissue pattern changes.  Here I made a full bust adjustment (FBA).

For the bodice back, I made swayback adjustment and I adjusted the back pattern for a zipper closure instead of a button closure.  Please forgive the pencils and pens.  I used them to hold the pattern pieces in place.  On both front and back I raised the neckline a little.  I hate how low pattern fall on me.

Now, to look at the outcome of my changes.  For the FBA, the bottom edge of the cup is now longer than  the midriff.  To reduce length,  the excess needed to be removed.  So on one side I made a dart and the other I ease in the excess.  I liked to dart better.  So, in my fashion fabric I will make a dart at the lower section of the cup.  

The back is very good with this muslin.  So I don't think I need to make any more substantial changes.  Maybe a little tweaking here and there.

The next is to determine whether to make the top or add a skirt to the top for a dress.  Stay tuned.

Happy Sewing!

C

Maxi Dress Wardrobe Staple - Dart Rotation M7386 and M6559

Now that I've shared many of the major events and activities of my birthday celebration, I'm back to playing catch up with my sewing projects from the summer.  Sometimes it is a challenge to take the photos and organize them.  

So let me get started with two maxi dresses that I made in August.  Both dresses are really easy to make.  The first is a "Learn to Sew for Fun" pattern. The second pattern that I used may be OOP. There are so many options for hacking or making changes to either pattern to suit your own taste or design preference.  

One of the major adjustments that I almost always make is a FBA, which I made for these two dresses.  Before I start with all the changes, let me provide some of the basic information about the two dresses.

Pattern Descriptions:

M7386 -  McCall's gives a really basic description:  Pullover top, dresses and pull-on skirts have narrow hem.  One of  my favorite elements of the design is the fishtail skirt of the maxi dress.

 M6559 - Close-fitting, unlined jacket in two lengths has front extending into single-layer tie ends (wrong side shows).  Very close-fitting, pullover dresses.

Pattern Sizing:

M7386 - Size groupings (XS, S, M and L, XL, XXL)

M6559 - Size groupings (6-14 and 14-22)

I used what would be large and size 16, respectively.  And, of course, I made some modifications.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

The silhouette is basically the same. 

Were the instructions easy to follow?

The instructions are simple.  Any level sewist should be able to follow them with no problems

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

With my changes, my likes are the ruching in the bust area, the fishtail skirt, and the finishing of the bands at the neck and armholes.

Fabric Used:

My knit fabric is from Hobby Lobby.  It is a spongy knit, similar to Liverpool knit.  It was very easy to work with.  Before cutting into it, I pre-washed and dried it. 

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

the adjustment is made for the length of the front and back pattern pieces.

#1 dress - animal print (M7386). 

• FBA and Dart Rotation - For this dress I used M7386 front and back.  The FBA was made to rotate the dart to the center front to create ruching at the bust area.  This eliminates the bust dart all together.  I've posted a tutorial years ago if you are interested in the steps to do the dart rotation.  Here 
• This process is pretty easy to follow.  Once I did the dart rotation, I just added seam allowance to the center front.
• Neck and armhole band -  I simply measured the circumference of  each for the length of the band minus 2 to 3 inches depending on the stretch of the fabric.  The width of the bands 2".  The ends of the bands were sewn together (3/8" seam allowance) to create a circle.  Then attached to the appropriate areas using a 5/8" seam allowance; trimmed after sewing.  Then top-stitched for a nice finish.
• Broad shoulder adjustment - I added width across the back.
• Swayback - horizontal tuck across the back at the waist.
• Length - I also have to add length. Lol  Just a few inches so that the dress is truly a maxi dress.
• I did do some tweaking along the way.  The added width across all areas isn't needed throughout the entire dress.  So I adjusted as needed taking in larger seam allowances.

#2  dress rust Solid (M6559) 

• I used the front of M7386.  But for the back I wanted a racerback.  So, I used the top of M6559.  And to keep the skirt silhouette of M7386, I overlaid the skirt back of M7386 folding and tucking the rest of the pattern out of the cutting path.  No need to retrace unless you really want to.  Lol.  So the skirt (fishtail) was the same for the front and back.  All other adjustments were the same.  I did need to add a center back seam.  The center back seam helps with getting that close fit at the small of my back.
• All other changes are the same as M7386.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Sure.  This is a quick and easy dress, a wardrobe staple.  It has many style options, which can be worn well into fall with cardigans, jackets, shrugs, or a knit t-shirt underneath.

I recommend these patterns to all level sewists.

Conclusion:  Both patterns are easy to sew for all level sewists.  It is versatile and stylish.  

Happy Sewing!

C

 

Pattern Favorite - New Look NL6824

Birthday Dress!

I'm delighted to share another addition of my birthday dress project.  I've used New Look 6824 FIVE times.  And this is the second time I used it for a birthday dress.  The first one was a ivory crepe satin with a lace overlay.  That was in 2008.  I was a smaller person then. Lol

Here is a link to all my posts on New Look 6824.

Patterns can be easily altered, which is fantastic.  For this fifth installation, I just graded it up as I cut.  This was a super quick make.  I needed a pink-ish dress for our church Annual Women's Conference.  This was the first time our main "color" wasn't white.  I went digging through boxes and bins looking for this fuchsia wool that I purchased at Fishman's Fabrics years ago. Lucky for me I had already paired it with a China silk lining.  Both were neatly stored in a plastic bag.  No moth wholes, just perfect.

I didn't really have anything in mind when I purchased it.  So now, it is a Jackie O-ish dress that is so me.  It sewed up fast.  No problems at all.

Parting Photo:  Pink was the color this year.  All because of the new Barbie movie.  I wasn't my goal to make three pinkish outfits this summer.  There is a collage of my three pink outfits that I completed this year.

 

Minerva Peachy Suit - Burda Style 6376 Jacket and Simplicity S9147

Good morning everyone,

It's been awhile since my last post. So I have lots to share this week.  I want to first start with the Peachy suit I made a few weeks ago.  The crepe is from Minerva Fabrics in the UK.  They gifted me four yards of it a few months ago.  When I saw it, immediately I knew what I would make.  

And here is my peachy summer suit made using Simplicity S9147 for the pants and Burda Style BS6376 blazer, view B.  A lot of pattern adjustments with a few detail changes.  You can read about in under my profile:  Minerva 

There are several posts that support the review.  So be sure to scroll through the feed to see all the information.  Meanwhile,  I decided to post many, many pictures here.

HEAVY PICTURES

Pants Pics

Blazer

Me again

Happy Sewing!

C

New Look N6594 in Review - Green Wardrobe Capsule PTIV

 

Finally, I posting about the fourth garment in my Green Wardrobe Capsule. It's been three weeks since the last post. My goal was to post a "Notes on a Pattern" next. But because I was "distracted" by so many other things, I never got a chance to post it. So today I decided to go ahead and post a complete pattern review of NL6594 instead. 

This dress took more time than I expected. My adjustments were a little off. Not making a muslin before hand caused a little set back. I ended up making the bodice twice. Thank God I had enough leftover fabric to do so. 

Anyway, this fourth garment completes the first segment of my Green Wardrobe Capsule. Here is the review. 

 

The pattern description is so unbelievably vague.  My description - Dresses with fitted bodice, front midriff,  and slightly flared skirt; side zipper. The dress comes with multiple length and sleeve variations.  It is available in sizes 8 to 20.  I made view C with shorten skirt and 16 with modifications. 

I used a beautiful kelly green tencel twill from Mood. The fabric is super smooth and easy to work with.   It's also very fluid and light on the body.  

My dress does look like the dress on the envelope.  But I expected it to be a little more flared.  As usual, I did make a few changes for fit and construction.  Those changes didn't change the overall silhouette of the dress.

First, I made several fit adjustments to the tissue pattern.  Those changes include:

• FBA, little tuck along the neckline for a better fit along the bust area.
  
• Swayback
• Prominent shoulder blades, which produced a little dart in the shoulder seam
• Length of skirt between view B and view C
• No darts in the back skirt
  

 

After making the changes, I really needed to make a muslin.  Because there were areas where I needed to do a little more tweaking.  These changes weren't identified until after I almost completed the bodice.  You can image I didn't want to pluck all of those seam apart.  I decided to cut a whole new bodice, which in my mind took less time to do then taking the first one apart.

Last thought on that:  Make a muslin.

 

Construction changes:  

• Instead of tacking down the facing to the dress,  I machine stitched in the ditch at the front gathered bodice and along the shoulder darts.
• For the hem, I just serged the raw edges of the sleeves and hem, turned and stitched.

Close to the end of completing this dress I was ready to be finished.  I felt like I spent too much time on a very simple dress.

 

 

The instructions provided with the pattern easy, simple and typical.  Nothing confusing in them. 

There are a few things that I like about the style of this pattern:

• The design and style of the front bodice.  This is a style that I'm fond of.  Partly, because of my body type, inverted triangle.  I think a more fitted "V" bodice looks best on me.  Sometimes I over compensate, which was the case of the initial bodice.  I think I almost got it right.
• I also like the a-line skirt.  But it doesn't exactly work for me in this dress.  I think a fuller skirt would look much better.

 

I don't think I really have any serious dislikes. There is one thing I don't like; and that is, side zippers.  I prefer back or front closures.  One of my goals with making this dress was to fit a likeable bodice that I can interchange with other skirt designs.  This one I'll make again. 

A nice little dress that I recommend to others.  It is not a difficult dress to make I'd rate it average.  My dress is good. But I will tweak the bodice just a little more.  Then I make it again with a fuller skirt.  

This completes my review of my fourth garment of my Green Wardrobe Capsule.  I wanted to make one more dress for the summer season.  But, Fall is upon us.  So, I will start a new capsule:  Blues and Reds.  More on that later.

Happy Sewing!

C