McCalls 6164 seems to be the pattern I reach for when I want a successful quick sew – this is the fourth time I’ve used it!  This is view B.

I eked out the top from some leftover Spotlight viscose jersey. It’s very soft and comfy, but I only had just enough. I actually had to piece the sleeves together to get sufficient length – they have a seam just below the elbow. Because I had so little fabric, I wasn’t able to take the motif placement into account. As you can tell….

Yes, a great big flower giving the bullseye effect! If you are trying to avoid this look (and I advise that you do) Carolyn has a great post about how to over here.

And because I know that you like to see the details of the sleeve construction, here’s a photo!

I’m off to the Quilt and Craft fair with Clare today, so had better get lunch packed and my comfy shoes on. It’s a lovely mother/daughter day out (although I know that Stella wishes she could come too, but she’s not quite old enough to behave well enough yet).

And for our big news – my husband has just been offered a job! It’s a fantastic job that pays well, although it will involve a lot of travel. So I’ll be dropping back to my usual two days of work with some additional contract work here and there as I’m able to coordinate it. It’s very exciting for all of us. The job is a perfect fit for him and draws on all his past employment experience. And although I’ve really enjoyed working full-time, I know that Stella especially would really like to have me around more.  Hooray!

I had Vogue 8323.  I had some stable knit fabric given to me by a friend – lovely fabric, but possibly not in a colour that flatters me.  So I thought that I’d make what would hopefully be a wearable toile/muslin.

Okay, where shall I start with this? I cut a size 14, and shortened it about an inch through the body to allow for my short waist. Then I blithely assembled it – on the overlocker.

First mistake – I should have done a princess seam FBA for my C-cup bust.  I know that.  Why didn’t I do it?  Possibly because I usually make less fitted clothes, I suppose.  And possibly because I was being lazy.

Second mistake – all those fold lines and pull lines around the back.  I should have eased out the seams a little around my waist/stomach.

Third mistake – it all flares out around the hem.  Probably because my hips are actually a much smaller size than my waist.  Shall I point out some other fitting problems?

The neckline looks lovely on the pattern envelope. But it comes up way too high for me! There’s heaps of excess fabric there – maybe my neck needs to be about 20 cm longer for it to fit properly.

Then there is the sleeve cap – too big. It’s eased in, but looks almost puffy. I should have shaved at least a quarter of an inch off the top of it. And the sleeves are tight around the bicep.

So here I am, smiling as though I have made something that fits. It’s not a wearable toile, sadly. But a terrific learning experience.  All the vertical seams make this ideal for alteration; it just takes some patience to sew the seams on the machine and try it on as I go (rather than just leaping into things on the overlocker).  The fabric was fairly firm, so if I made this again, I would use something stretchier and softer. I’d reduce the sleeve cap, shorten the neck, add the inch I took out of the body back in, reduce the flare in the hem…..okay, am I really likely to do this?   It’s actually a lovely pattern, and went together very quickly. But not great on me.  I’ll think about it some more….