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 6035 blouse

Linda made this gorgeous blouse with McCalls 6035 and I completely copied was totally inspired by it and needed my own.

The fabric is a stretch linen from my stash. It is really fab, and I really wish I knew where it came from. I need some more!! It was a dream to sew and it wears very nicely. The lycra reduces the tendency linen has to crease.

The pattern is really great. This was kind of a rush job, as I wanted to wear it to Sewing Summit on Saturday, but didn't decided that until like Thursday. No time for a muslin, so I just petited the bodice above the bust about 1/2 inch and cut the D cup pattern pieces. Love those cup sized patterns!! Anyway, the fit isn't PERFECT, but it is really darn good, and honestly, I think this is one of those cases where good is the enemy of best. I think if I tried to tweak the armhole to get rid of those underarm wrinkles in the back, I'd just make other sleeve problems for myself.

See what I mean? The fit in back is really pretty good. I'm keeping it. What was that? You want a closer look at that sleeve detail?

Isn't it lovely? There is a story... So, as I mentioned, this was a very last minute sew. As in, I stitched it up at Sewing Summit during the open sew time. It took me two evenings of sewing. I got to the ruched area on evening one, and it was nearly one in the morning. Needless to say, there was unpicking involved. If I had been paying attention, it would have been fine. It wasn't complicated to construct at all. But you do need to pay attention to the instructions.

I do like the way it picks up the pink in my velvet Meringue skirt. I'm really glad I stitched it up on a whim. It is definitely going to be a major wardrobe player. Now anyone seen anymore stretch linen for sale?? This stuff is awesome!