Catching up

Last week I was out of town for a few days for business travel.  The rest of the week was a work week for h***.  The ending of the week was good as not only was my birthday coming up; it was a long weekend as I had today off as well!

So having some extra time this weekend, I completed my garment of the month which was the Kwik Sew top #4028 using a knit fabric from Fabric Mart. I am not all that happy about the top.  First it is too low at the neckline and I have to keep playing with the drape to get it to lay like I want.  I even raised the neckline 1.5 inches and still too low.  I have another drape neck pattern from KS that the neckline is too low as well.  I cut a medium in upper chest and shoulders switching to large at bust to bottom.  It was also way too long; I should have caught that during the fitting process.  After cutting off an 1inch and 1/2, I ended up hemming it another 1.25 inches and it called for 5/8 hem allowance.  Sleeves are cut on which were okay. 

I cropped photo as I did not have on much make up and I looked really wiped out with out it.  Here is a view of the back.

Even with sway back adjustment I needed to take out additional length in the back.  If I make this again and I doubt it, I will make that adjustment.

Sorry about the jeans and shoes in the photo above.  I was in a hurry to get some pictures taken.  Here is the top with black/camel skirt that I just don't like at all.  I have pressed and pressed this skirt and it still looks wrinkled.  I just can't get the fit right.

I know I sound "whiny" but I am just not loving my recent garment makes.

The other garment that I had not photographed is the McCall's 6844 oatmeal colored boucle knit.

I have a love-hate going on with this jacket.  I should have cut off more from the shoulder.  The boucle knit is rather bulky and I ended up stitching the lapels from hemline to waistline as they would not stay folded back and that definitely added bulk to me!  Not the look I was going for.

By stitching down the lapels it hangs better in the front.

I wish I had trimmed off some of the length of peplum in the back.  I feel it is too long.  I realized also that when I took this photo I had not removed some pins where I had pinned a deeper seam at the back peplum thinking that was a solution to the back length; I am still thinking on that one.  Thus the right side is hanging somewhat "wonky".

I decided to sew something with more color today.  It is a knit fabric I acquired from EOSin 2013.  This picture does not do it justice.

I am making the Renfrew cowl neck top from Sewaholic Patterns.  I made this one previously with good success and so far so good with this one. 

So back to work tomorrow.  And possibly snow in our future.  Later.

December Garment of the Month

I finally completed what was to be December Garment of the Month.  After making View A of M6844 in stash fabric and perfecting the fit, I cut out View C and cut out the boucle knit fabric from Fabric Mart.

I enjoyed sewing this project and can understand why so many other sewists have chosen to make this cardigan time and time again.

Many reviews indicate that the pattern runs large and that the fronts do meet.  I found that to be somewhat true.  When I sew a pattern that is sized by xs to xl, I always fall between what I size I really need.  As with this pattern, I purchased the xs-m because the bust measurement is the right size for the upper chest.  I need the large for my bust size but medium works great for my back.  The large was not included in this pattern so using the medium required a FBA.  I made a a one inch FBA and kept the resulting dart.

As many indicated the shoulders run large and with most McCall patterns for me the shoulder area is always to large, so adjusted them by about 3/8 inch; I also made a 3/8 inch narrow back adjustment as well.  The sleeves are very tight and many reviewers noted this.  On the black and white cardigan, I added actually two inches to the arms and ended up taking out an inch.  On the boucle knit after adjusting the sleeve pattern taking the adjustment to one inch extra, the sleeves are rather snug.  I think that the snugness is the difference in the knits and the amount of stretch.  Still wearable.  I also shortened the sleeve length by an inch which is a typical adjustment for me.

I made my usual sway back adjustment in View A and decided that the upper back length was still too long as it was pooling in the back.  I shortened an additional 1/2 inch making the back fit better.  I wish I had shortened the back peplum as the length is a little longer that I thought it would be and should I make another one, I will make that adjustment

Some reviewers indicated that the had an issue with attaching the neck band and had to really stretch it to meet at the bottom edge.  I cut the bottom edge of the band about 1/2 inch longer so when you sew the bottom edge of the two bands together it lined up well at the bottom.  I also sewed from the bottom up to the center back seam; then flipped the jacket over and sewed from the bottom of that side up to center back and all went together well.

Here is the garment on Alma Marie.

AlmaMarie is broader in the back than I am, so not as snug fitting on me. This boucle knit was fairly easy to sew.  It is a wool blend boucle knit so I think it will be warm.  Giving our current frigid temps I think I will well it often.

McCall's 6844

I made all the pattern adjustments this morning to the pattern-two people indicated that the shoulder was long so made an adjustment to the length.  I found the sleeves to be very snug when pin fitting the pattern so added width to those.  I also made swayback and forward shoulder adjustment. 

I also made a small FBA.  I know most people said the pattern ran large.  I purchased the xs-s-m size pattern based on upper chest measurement and will cut out the medium size pattern buying.  The finished width per the pattern is 36 which is a tad to snug for me.  Decided that I needed this adjustment and since it is a stretch fabric I would not made a larger than an inch FBA.  I think before I cut into this boucle knit fabric:

I will sew up a double knit that I have in my stash that I have used in some other projects and have enough to test the pattern with it.  If it works, then I will have another cardigan to wear in a different color.

Off to the sewing room-trying to make good use of my vacation time getting in some sewing!  This cardigan jacket was to be my December Project of the Month.