McCalls 6035 blouse and 3830 knit pencil skirt

A friend of mine was getting rid of some fabric, so naturally I was happy to adopt it! All of the pieces she gave me were lovely, but I was struck by a piece of pink embroidered eyelet, and had to make it into a blouse.

I used McCalls 6035, which I made in pink stretch linen here. I knew I wanted a simple blouse to let the fabric shine.

I got it finished and was a little dismayed. It doesn't look like much on Sandra Dee.

But isn't the lace at the hemline lovely? I'm pleased with the matching at the seams. I chose this pattern mostly for the fit, and I feared that all the panels would be tricky to match, but they were fine. I did have to straighten the curved hemline on the pattern, which was no big deal.

Some necklaces and a belt really perks it up. Carolyn suggested pairing it with white jeans, and I love that idea! Now I need to sew a pair of white jeans. I wore my old pair to death!

Since I didn't have time to sew up some white jeans, I decided to whip up a black pencil skirt. It seems I really need to sew more wardrobe basics! I used my knit pencil skirt tutorial, and made this skirt in about 30 minutes. The fabric is ponte knit from Spandex World. It feels very similar to the Sophia line of double knits that you can get at Vogue Fabrics. It's quite nice!

Both pieces are nice, much needed basics, so I'm glad I took the time to sew them. And so grateful to Catrin for the lovely pink eyelet!

On a personal note, I'm going out of town for the next week. I do have another make to show you, but I'm not taking the computer, so it will have to wait until I get back, and I won't be doing any sewing during the week, so the blog will be quiet. Hopefully, we can get some pictures of my new dress among the beautiful Smoky Mountains!

McCalls 3830

Thanks everyone for the feedback on my jacket muslin. It is currently taking a rest in the closet. I'm thinking I may scrap the pattern altogether, and use the houndstooth wool to make a cape, but I'm not going to cut in haste. Still, I needed something quick and fun to resurrect the flagging mojo...

I was chatting with a friend at church the other day, and she mentioned that she wanted to sew a knit pencil skirt. Was that hard? No, I thought, but it got me to thinking...

and sewing. I hunted through my pattern stash for a knit pencil skirt pattern, and they all were unshaped, which I didn't want. So, I decided to try my TNT pencil skirt pattern (McCalls 3830) and used a waistband treatment I had seen on a favorite RTW skirt. I also slimmed the hemline, a vintage style trick I learned from one of Gertie's classes at Sewing Summit.

Here is what the waistline looks like on the outside. Note that there is no zipper or darts - this is a pull on skirt.

Inside the waistband is elastic. Nice, eh! This fabric is a fairly stretchy ponte knit from Hancock. It feels almost sweater-y, and has about a 30% stretch.

The side view isn't bad. You can't see it, but the seam is straight. The hemline looks wonky, but it is actually fine IRL. I must be standing funny.

I'm loving the rear view. Smooth and makes my butt look perky, which it really isn't particularly, as evidenced by the saggy butt alteration I always have to do on my pants.

And wearing it while chasing 3 kids, I still love it. The stretch allows me total freedom of movement (even while literally running after a very fast 5 year old) despite the narrow hemline and lack of a back vent. The waistband is comfortable, and would probably even accommodate a Thanksgiving turkey belly. I've already started on a second and cut out a third. So, my question to you, dear readers - is a tutorial in order? I'd be happy to put one together, if there is some interest.

McCall's 3830

You already saw my Valentine pencil skirt, but I thought I'd tell you about it as well.

Here it is just hanging around.  I loved the denim one that Amber made, and Amanda's leopard print was super fun, so when I was at Hobby Lobby and noticed that McCall's patterns were on sale, I grabbed this one.  It really is a nice basic.  The pattern is for a straight skirt in 5 lengths from mini to maxi.  The longer lengths include a walking vent.  The waistline is faced and it calls for a centered zipper.  I lined mine and put in an invisible zip.  I used some fabric from my collection that has been there long enough that I have forgotten it's origins.  

Here it is up close.  Based on the way that it behaved, I'm pretty sure that it is a natural fiber, but I'm not sure what.  It has a bit of itchiness, but it doesn't act or smell like wool.  It is also a somewhat coarse weave and reminds me a lot of my favorite vintage suit.  Anyway - the skirt...

Here is the inside from the back.  I lined it with a very lightweight batiste, since I live in Texas and wanted it to be wearable in the summer.  I did use the facing pattern pieces to cut some interfacing which I fused to the lining to stabilize the waist.  I also added some pink piping to the waistline, just for fun!

Here is the hem.  This is the first time I've used lace to bind a hem.  I think it is very pretty and it was easy to sew, so I'm going to be doing more of this in the future.  Overall, this pattern is a winner, but I have to add a small caveat about fit.  I always cut a size smaller than my measurements in McCalls patterns, but since Amber had some fit issues with hers, I measured the pattern, and ended up going down TWO sizes AND taking in the side seams an additional 1/4 inch at the hip during construction.  I really love this pattern, but if you make it, be sure to measure!