Making Waves with a McCall's 6844 Cardigan

Shawl collared cardigans........



It has been about 3 months since I worked on the sewing machine. Due to the many positive reviews of McCall's 6844, I was confident to try it.

Here is the peplum version with a slight "high-low" hem, that I did not sew. It is lovely, but peplums are unpredictable on me.
 

 Description: Misses/Miss Petite Cardigans: Close fitting cardigans (do not meet at center front) have collar extending int front band and narrow hem; A, C: Shaped hemline, wrong side shows. I sewed view "B".

 Size: XSm-Sml-Med, L-XL-XXL. I sewed a medium.

Fabric: Approximately 1 5/8 yards of "yarn-dyed serpentine-striped" from EOS that was in my stash for 21 months. Thank goodness it does not fray, which makes sewing with this lightweight knit a breeze.  I did the best I could with the continuity of the waves along the seams.

 

Likes:
(1) I agree with the "EASY" label, especially with view "B" not having the peplum.

(2) The flattering slight "flare" along the sides and the fit, neither snug or nor loose. The ease for me was sufficient for me not to wear a belt.

 (3) Instant chic: The style allows the cardigan to be casual, dramatic or elegant depending on the fabric you choose, and/or the accessories you wear.


Dislikes: I cannot think of any dislikes except for the back came which out looser than I had anticipated, and possibly due to the draping nature of the knit that I used, or the drafting.

 

 Directions:
They were easy to follow, with minor changes in the sequencing to further simplify the construction.

Summarizing the steps that were all printed on one two-sided sheet:
(1) Stitch the shoulder seams

(2) Attach the sleeves flat (instead of the side seams first and setting in the sleeves per the instructions) and hem the sleeves

(3) Stitch as one continuous seam the sleeve seam and side seam on both sides.

(4) Stitch the collar/front band at the center seam , stitch its facing in the same fabric along the un-notched edges and lower edges, right sides together, and turn the entire piece inside.

(5) Attach the front band to the front, right sides together, and hem the entire cardigan. I am not sure if would have been better to hem the fronts and back before attaching the front facing as instructed.



Alterations/Modifications 
I performed my typical narrowing at the upper back and 1" petite adjustment at the waist (using the marked petite adjustment line on the pattern),.

Stabilized the shoulder seams with a strip of interfacing prior to stitching.

Omitted interfacing the collar/front band.

Stitched the sleeves flat to the armholes. I did not encounter any problems easing the sleeve onto the edges of the armholes. I trimmed at most 3/8" from the sleeve cap's height after machine basting.

 Omitted the topstitching of the collar due to the "airy" nature of the knit. I just let the front drape "naturally" on its own.


Conclusion:
Without interruptions, this cardigan took me approximately 3 1/2 hours of sewing time (no serger), or simply one full evening.

McCall's 6844, already a popular pattern in Pattern Review and I can understand why. Not only that it is easy to sew and flattering, it has the potential to be addictive. I highly recommend this pattern for all levels of sewers/sewists.

Already my sewing mojo is returning. Of course, another cardigan is on my sewing queue.

I like Missoni, in general, but  I would have to spend a little over $700 to get these "lurex waves".

http://www.luisaviaroma.com/index.aspx#ItemSrv.ashx|SeasonId=59I&CollectionId=AGS&ItemId=15&SeasonMemoCode=actual&GenderMemoCode=women&CategoryId=&SubLineId=clothing&utm_source=Lyst&utm_medium=Datafeed&utm_campaign=Lyst-US

 

Happy New Year and Some Re-Sew-lutions

Time just flies! It has been 5 months since my last post. Maybe sometime soon, my sewing mojo will return.

I hope I am able to sew at least four items from my new year's wish-to-sew list (re-sew-lutions). 

 A new wrap dress, McCall's 6884,




Appealing styles from Burda Style magazine, such as these options from the December 2013 issue::

and/or these options from the October 2013 issue:
 


Also from the October 2013 issue:

 With attractively embossed fabric, Butterick 5995 would  put me in a festive mood!




But in the meantime, we wish you all a promising, prosperous,

 

 a cheerful, 

and a sweet new year!

Spool On Rouge with Vogue 8915

I used lots of red thread on a Vogue 8914 top and a dress.
"Misses' top, dress, belt, and pants: Pullover top or dress has self belt. Tapered pants have elasticized waist.   The pattern comes in Xsm-Sml-Med and Lrg-XL-XXL.   I sewed a medium and realized that this pattern has excessive ease. I sewed a small for my second version in a dress and it became more fitted, especially after increasing the side seams. I am not quite sure about it. 




The instructions were sufficient, especially if you have sewn garments that require only two main pattern pieces, the front and the back.

This is a dress by Akiko (found on myhabit.com) whose style is close to the pattern sketches:

Favorite and Not-So-Favorite Features
I like that the top was easy to sew and that the top required approximately 3/4 of a yard of fabric. My dislikes are that I experienced "gaposis" at the neckline (front and back) and the belt is needed to cinch the top or dress due to the "sack"-like silhouette. I sized down to a "S" for my second version (dress). 


Fabric Used:
For my first version, 3/4 of a yard of fabric remnant of a previous project (three years?), a cotton woven with slight stretch. 

 

For my second version, a silk/charmeuse. I feel like some 1960's flight attendant. Fabric print placement was tricky due to the random configurations of red blocks.  I should have made something else with this fabric.

Modifications:

*For modesty, I raised the armscye, by stitching 1" above the marked circle (I could have gone a tad higher) or the start of the side seam.

Still the lower portion of the armhole is low :

*For the first version, made two small darts at the neckline to address the gaping or "draping" neckline. Otherwise, any more ease, and I could wear it in an updated "flashdance" style as in this Krizia dress:

*Used a bias strip in the same fabric to finish the neckline, instead of turning under the raw edges and top-stitching a narrow hem as directed.

*Made my typical petite adjustment at the waistline

* Narrowed the upper back 1/2" from the center (total 1" across) tapering to 0" above the waistline

*For my first version (the top), I created a "split" sleeve by not sewing the shoulder seam in its entirety. I made a narrow hem at the edges before hemming the lower edges of the sleeves. 

*Due to the fraying nature of the silk (dress version), I sewed the sides in French seams.

Future Plans/Recommendations
I plan to sew another top (not a dress) from this pattern.  This pattern is ideal to showcase fabric prints and for beginners. I recommend using fabric remnants just under a yard to determine if the pattern needs to be altered to your fitting preferences.

Conclusion:
I prefer this pattern as a top. 

Alternative look:
Instead of a belt, an elastized waistline is an option, as in this Michael Kors top. The contrasting fabric at the neckline and sleeve hems looks sleek.

 

Double Twist with Vogue 1327

             A RTW Anne Klein with the twisted upper bodice (already sold out)

                                               
                                   My pattern envelope of Vogue 1327.

Pattern Description:
Lined dress has bias, pleated, twisted upper front bodice, semi-fitted bodice, front pleated skirt, invisible back zipper and vent.

I was misled by "easy" label on this pattern. This would be "easy" if the dress consisted of two or three pieces and with much fewer and less elaborate instructions. I hope you benefit from my "learn by doing" experience. Maybe my shortcuts and "goofs" are your gain as well.

I sewed a "12".

Fabric Used:
Marc Jacobs houndstooth jersey that seemed to be lined with a lightweight and had a tendency to fray a little at the edges.
 
I am not certain about my dress looking like the one depicted on the pattern envelope because I used a printed fabric, and being not built like typical Vogue pattern models, I "fill" out the dress quite differently...

Instructions
I seemed to only use 20 of the 49 steps because I used a knit. For an "easy" pattern, this one seems quite extensive, in regards to lining the upper and lower bodice, lining the upper back and skirt portions, inserting a zipper, making the 13 little pleats below the waistline at the skirt front, binding the seams, finishing portions of the lining and hems by slip-stitching or hand-stitching, and making the lower back pleat at their skirt in conjunction with its lining. Steps 45-49 involve inserting a "lingerie strap" or "hanger strap". Although I followed less than half of the lengthy set of instructions, it is still not one of those "instant" or "quick gratification" projects.


Favorite and Not-So Favorite Features
I liked the twist front style with the "keyhole" or peek-a-boo front bodice. I had to really revert several times to the illustration showing the "double twist" of one side of the upper bodice. The lining of the upper bodice (in the same fabric) was done the same way. The upper bodice and its lining are stitched right sides together along the neckline (stopping at the "triangles" near the shoulder seams) and at the lower edge "between two marked circles" which designate what I call the "boundary points" or the start and stop of the upper part of the keyhole opening.

Pinning the lower bodice to the upper bodice that had already been lined in the same fabric was tricky because the "twist" had a tendency to revert to its original position! To "hold" the twist or prevent it from unraveling, I pinned the shoulders together, and took my time to pin the upper and lower bodices together as well as the upper and lower bodices of the lining.

What I thought would be a "piece of cake" were forming those 13 front pleats at the skirt! During cutting, I cut out narrow triangles to designate the width of each pleat. This helped somewhat to avoid the "vanishing chalk marks" that occurs with fabric manipulation. Because they were very close together, it was easy to miss the upcoming or consecutive basted pleat during stitching. I had to stitch, stop, push the fabric forward, so as not to "miss" the next pinned pleat. I wanted the pleats to be secured prior to attaching it to the bodice. 

It was somewhat of a challenge for my fabric of the skirt portion of my dress to pleat according to these line segments and circles. The pleats are very close together and it would have been wiser to "gather" from one point to another.

 

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
*My typical 3/4" petite adjustment at the waist and my upper narrow back adjustment. Next time, I plan to omit this petite adjustment. The bodice would have worked out fine without it, especially in a woven.

*I omitted the back and skirt lining.

*I hemmed and top-stitched the back neckline and back armholes.

*I left the lower hem of the lining of the lower bodice detached from the front skirt.

 

* Since I was using a knit, I omitted the invisible zipper.

*I omitted the back pleat, which I would keep I were using a woven.

 

Future Plans/Recommendations
I would not sew this again in my immediate future. Although I recommend this pattern, is helpful to make a muslin or a "run-though" version to work out fitting and construction issues.

Lining the back in the same fabric would have made the dress look more polished. The flattering style and the fit precluded me from giving this pattern a "mediocre"rating. "Easy" is a misnomer for the sewing level of this pattern. Considering the labor intensity, "Average" would be more appropriate.

Day-To-Night

Pattern Description/Sizing 
 "This sleeveless top has a drape front neckline which drapes elegantly at the front, making this top perfect for a dinner out or for clubbing all night long! But as well as being great for night time, this top is elegant and great for daytime at the office...

... Make it in a soft rayon jersey in a color that suits you well for an elegant look or make it in a fun print or a shiny fabric for a night on the town. The back neckline and armholes can either be finished with Fold Over Elastic or invisible elastic." The pattern ranges from a XS to a 4XL. I sewed a "M" at the shoulders and arms, tapering to a "L" at the hips. The pattern does not include seam allowances.  I purchased this pattern download at patternreview.com


Fabric Used: First version (dress): Soft (rayon?) jersey with red/aqua animal print from emmaonesock.com.   I was able to extract a dress from this pattern and a sleeveless top (from a "retro" pattern) using 2 yards of this fabric. 

Animal prints or safari inspired prints seem to continue trending. Speaking of multi-colored animal prints, here's a dress from designer Faviana.

Second version (top): Silk twill from gorgeousfabrics.com.  Because I cut the top on the bias grain, it is roomier than the photo suggests. Also, I noticed that the shoulder area behaves differently than that on the knit.  I actually prefer the "cutaway" shoulder style on me.

A JS Boutique "cutaway shoulder"dress from Nordstrom:

 



 On the topic of "polygons": 

From Dillards, a draped front top with smaller hexagons.

 I recently tried on a knit mock wrap dress in an octagonal print.  The wrap portion was higher than usual, which did not work out well on my short-waisted torso.

 

(More)

 Now "back" to the main topic of discussion, Maria's pattern:

 

Pattern Instructions 
They were written well accompanied by helpful photos, especially those for (1) pattern cutting and assembling the pieces, for (2) attaching the fold-over and the invisible elastic to finish the neckline and armscyes and (3) sewing the shoulder seams showing the placement of the front facing folded "behind" the back piece. I like Maria's use of photos of the actual construction of the top.


Favorite Features 
I can only rave about the ease of construction (only two main pattern pieces, front with draped facing and back formed by only 8 sheets (2 x 4) of the printed pattern taped together) and the "instant" chic of this top. Draped necklines are here to stay. In terms of the fit, it is one of the most figure flattering tops that I have made. 


Modifications/alterations:
First version:

 

*I lengthened the top to a dress. 

*The back was narrow enough for me to omit my usual modification in the upper back.

 *Instead of using foldover or invisible elastic, I cut a rectangular strip of the same fabric that is 1 1/2" wide and 9 1/4" long to bind the armscyes. The length might change depending on the type of knit you use. For the back of the neckline, I was able to top-stitch a 3/8" wide hem. 

 Second version: 

 

 * I cut the fabric along the bias. I attached a band along the lower edge (after removing 1 1/2" from the edge of the blouse) 

 *I used bias strips cut from the same fabric to bind the neck and armscyes. The method I used is identical to the one used in a review (just before this one) of three tops from another downloadable pattern. 




*I also sewed the sides in French seams

For both versions: *I made my usual petite adjustment of 3/4" at the waistline. 


Future Plans/Recommendations  
I don't think I will "retire" this pattern yet.  This pattern fits the bill for a quick gratification project and ideal for fabric remnants.  I highly recommend it all levels of sewists, especially to those who are new with knits.

Update: July 8:
I made version #3 in a Just Cavalli silk charmeuse from EOS.

 

I searched the web and found a $660 valued skirt in identical fabric on ebay.

I cut the two pieces on the bias.