Pinterest Interest Using McCalls 7723 and Mccalls 7726

As a part of my monthly sewing, I scope out a bunch of challenges on Facebook and Instagram.  For this month, I’ve looked to Pinterest for inspiration for the Sew Much Talent Facebook Group and That Sew Monica’s sew your view challenges.  Between Facebook and Instagram, I’m always challenged and inspired to make something.  I chose this look because it’s much different than anything I’ve sewn and or worn.  I’m pretty boring in my everyday wardrobe, I’m a jeans and T-shirt girl and in the summer cool dresses.  For work, I keep it conservative ish and if you’ve seen my Instagram feed, on the weekends, I’m super casual (urban lumberjack!).   I’m okay with that, however, I’d like some diversity in my wardrobe and the last few pieces’ I’ve made have been very different.  I want to have items I would be comfortable wearing on date night, church, happy hour or an arts/cultural event.

Inspiration:

Pinterest

Pinterest

I love African fashion and this style kept popping up as recommended Pinterest pins, like Google and Amazon, do they know what I need before I do, hummm?  Scary, right?  Anyway, I though I’d give it a try.  I didn’t use an African print, but the design of the fabric was similar to me.  I purchased this fabric on the cheap and it was my muslin/sample.  Since I loved it, I decided to finish it and now it’s my wearable.  I didn’t have good expectations for the  the pants initally, I just didn’t think they would look good, not sure why, they look great on everyone I’ve seen make it up and it is a good silhouette for me.  Any who, I really like it and I’m happy I didn’t go muted, this bold large scale print is everything… and that yellow though!

Here’s a good look at my forward shoulder, I did an adjustment but the shoulder seam is still too far back.

Great fit at the seat and hip on the pants.  Not so good at the neckline.  Armhole is good too!

Review:

The fabric I used was a 100% cotton twill, it was lightweight and marked home decor fabric.  This was on clearance for 90% off.  I paid just under $4 for a little over 3.5 yards!  The fabric was marked dry clean only on the selvage, so I washed it on the gentle cycle and put them in the dryer.  I wanted to pre treat the fabric and see if it would shrink.  Now, normally you would take a swatch and do it, but I’m so used to throwing fabric in the wash when I get home, so yeah, this could have gone horribly wrong lol!  I originally purchased the fabric for a bag and decided to use it as a muslin since twill was one of the suggested fabrics for the pants.  The fabric felt light weight, I compared the hand  to a similar sport weight twill in the Apparel section of Joann and decided to go with it.  I have this cute outfit for about $8, that’s counting the patterns, fabric and the hook and bar.  I think this outfit looks more expensive, don’t you?!!

As a reference for techniques, I used my books: Power Sewing by Sandra Betzina and Fit for real people to help with my fit adjustments and Brittany J. Jone’s sew with me Youtube video for construction details.  Brittany collaborated with Monica this month and as always, it was a pleasure to watch her sew, for the beginner she gave grate tips on the fiddly bits (I love saying bits, it’s my British pleasure lol!).

For the top, I modified McCalls 7723, I made some adjustments to the pattern:

Lowering neckline and checking the shape

creating a curve for the crop and grading to the side seam

•  1″ FBA
•  5/8″ Round back adjustment
• Forward shoulder adjustment
• Lowered bust dart
• Graded from 22 to 24
• I made a modified crop top by cutting roughly two inches down from the waistline at center front and used my curved ruler to blend into the side seams.  I trued the front and back at the side seams to make sure it was a smooth curve.
• I made it sleeveless (I didn’t have enough fabric). 
• Lowered the neckline two inches at center front and took off 1/2 inch at front neckline at the shoulder and 1/4 inch back neckline at the shoulder.
• I added a zipper to center back instead of the keyhole opening.

I really like how my crop top came out, but the fit of the neck and bust, I’m not happy with.  I originally made a muslin of this top and didn’t love it, so I used it as a base for this pattern to see if I could get the fit right.  I could have taken a 1/2 inch more off of the shoulder to get a better shaping at the top of the shoulder,  I think to have it the armhole curved to show more of the shoulder would have looked better.

I really don’t like the way the back neckline “stands away” from the body.  This could be the result of the shaping, the fabric, or my unbalanced adjustments.  I may need to do a smaller round back adjustment so the back will lay flat..  I think I should have taken off at least an inch from the shoulder at the front and back neckline to widen the the neckline.  Finally, I didn’t like the size of the dart from the FBA and I did my normal one inch.  The dart seemed big and too far away from the apex as I look at it now and maybe salvaged in the bust by lengthening the dart point closer to the apex.  The top had lots of ease, but I  after making the first muslin it had some drag lines (I made a 1/2 inch FBA) which lead me to believe I needed a larger FBA.   I’m not sure what’s going on with that.  I probably wont make this top again, I have tops that have better shaping through the bust and waist, but I do like the sleeve details, I will reuse those.  A sewist may see my issues here, but the average person may not, one of the reasons I wore the top anyway.

I really like the pants, I made only a few adjustments:

• Graded up the waist and hip to size 24 and blending below the hip to hem at the size 22 line.
•  After trying on, I pegged the leg by going in two inches from the size 22 cutting line on the sides seam (front and back pattern pieces) and graded to nothing at the hip.
• I scooped out about 1/2 inch from the back crotch curve per my usual.
• As per what Erica Bunker stated, the instructions do not tell you to interface the self facing but it would be helpful since you’re making pleats for the waist.
• I made view B with the sash.

I will make these pants again, I think Bermuda shorts in denim or twill will be cute and the wide leg view would look great in a tencel! 

What do you think about my $8 outfit, did I nail the inspiration?  Do you ever use fabric not recommended with great results?