November Round Up Part 2: Butterick 6425 and McCalls 7698

Here are the two patterns I made for myself this month, Butterick 6425 and McCall’s 7698.  I did a lot of planning for December and I had a lot of family events in November so I was busy, but not with sewing for me.   I have lots of personalized holiday gifts for December, a coat/cape, two party dresses, a sweater dress, and some tops/sweaters.  I hope to get them all done with minimal stress, I will write a blog post in the next two months outlining how I pan my makes.

Soo, let’s start off with the robe:

Pattern Description: 

McCalls 7698
Close fitting through bust romper and jumpsuit have elasticized waist, length and sleeve variations. B: Buttons. Close fitting robes have self belt and length variations. A, C, D: Scalloped lace trim.
SEWING LEVEL: Beginner (minimal fitting, no closures and only 4 pattern pieces)

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

 
Yes, however I hacked the romper to make shorts.
Were the instructions easy to follow?

 
Yes, however, the instructions didn’t tell you to topstitch the lace on the neckline, I recommend finger pressing the lace toward the front and topstitch it down.  My lace had lycra which meant no pressing and it didn’t stay, it kept folding in toward the inside of the robe.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

 
This is an OK pattern, it’s simple and easy and for those who like
rompers, the pattern has pattern pieces for those.  I’m not a fan of
rompers, because I really don’t like getting undressed when I go to the
bathroom, so, that goes for jumpsuits too.  I love the way they look,
and I have a few, but If I help it, a two piece would be more functional
for me.
Dislikes:
-No loops.  Really, this should be included in every robe pattern as  an option, I forgot to draft them and then serged the edge, so I tacked down one side at the side seams because I’m lazy!
-No Pockets-  OK, again, really!  All robe patterns should come with either inseam pockets or a pockets on the outside.  In this day in age, where am I supposed to my snacks, the remote and my phone??  I drafted a pocket and again forgot to insert them, smh!!
 Fabric Used:
Grey ribbed knit, I could not find a glamorous knit that was cotton.  I could have used a double brushed poly knit and it wouldn’t have been as bland.  Next time I will search for either a silky knit or a more modern cotton print, I don’t like poly in my robe unless it’s fleece
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

 
I added in 1.5 inches at the neck line, I originally planned to not use the lace so I wanted to have the same amount of coverage.   I found some lace locally that I didn’t love, but I used anyway so I have extra coverage.  I drafted a pocket that I forgot to install, smh.

Finally, used the shorts pattern, I added seven inches to the top of the shorts pattern pieces, the romper had most of the fabric in the bodice and I needed extra booty coverage.  I did this by overlapping the bodice and shorts pattern pieces at the stitch line and tracing out from the waist down.  I also added three inches to the length, because, yeah, they were too short, even for bed.  I also added the seam allowance for the waist casing and added 3/4 inch elastic to the waist instead of the 1/4″.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Sure, If I need a quick sew.  I’m not a lace or ruffle person, so I don’t know if I’ll add that, it is a welcome change from bands that need to be hand stitched.  Sure, I think it’s a quick and easy robe that can be modified, I think a nice ITY knit might be a cool sexy robe with the added lace.


Here is the dress!  Ayee, let me tell you, when I saw Erica Bunker of Erica Bunker DIY Style with this dress, it was added to my list!  I would like to try the bodycon style also.

Pattern Description: 

Butterick 6425

Close-fitting top A and dresses B, C have cold shoulder detail, length and sleeve variations. B, C: Sash. C: Purchased Tassels. Close-fitting jumpsuit D has cold shoulder detail, pockets, and sash. C, D: Elastic at waist. Close-fitting pull-on pants E have casing with elastic at waist.
SEWING LEVEL: Beginner (minimal fitting, no closures and only 4 pattern pieces)

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

 
Yes
Were the instructions easy to follow?

 
Yes, instructions are straight forward, I didn’t see any issues or errors. I believe they are simple enough for a beginner to follow.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

 
I like the cold shoulder, the different neckline variations, the different sleeve options as well as the option to make a top, maxi, pants and jumpsuit.  I also like the length of the top/tunic.  The only dislike is there is no neckband or facing.
Fabric Used: Animal print scuba knit, this was dream to sew and wear.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

 
I added a center back seam with 5/8 seam allowance.  I did a rounded back and forward shoulder adjustment and graded up to a 24 from bust to hem.  I did a one inch bicep adjustment.  I drafted a neckband by cutting a two inch rectangle 85% of the neck circumference, here’s a tutorial from Made by Rae.  If you need help with neckbands, here’s another tutorial from Melly Sews.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes!  I have another one cut, stay tuned to see the changes I made.


Whew, another long post, I hope you enjoyed the final installment of my November makes!  Thanks for reading.