Classically Styled Knit Dress

Most of what I make tends to be fairly classic in style. I like to make things that I like, that I’ll wear, and that suit my needs. In other words, I spend my time making those things that I will really enjoy wearing and whose style can transcend trends. McCall’s 7186 is one of those patterns.

M7186

I used this green ponte knit that I had in my stash which is a great weight for this type of dress. It’s not too thin but is more of a medium-weight knit fabric so it’s easy to sew. That also means that it’s going to hang well on the body.

This is one of the few garments I’ve made that I didn’t make any alterations to (I made View D). In the future, I certainly could make the sway back adjustment (which I’ve never done before – need to learn how to do that). I think that would eliminate some of the excess fabric in the back at the waist. But overall, I’m still very happy with the results. And because it’s knit, it’s very comfortable to wear.

I’m always challenged by certain pattern styles. I’m not challenged by whether I think it would look good or not, but I’m often challenged by whether the neckline is going to be too low or make me uncomfortable in some way. I don’t know if any of you go through this, but I am constantly wondering if I’ll be able to move freely without exposing anything that shouldn’t be exposed – LOL! Well, this particular dress is not a problem for me in regard to movement. It’s very comfortable to wear. I also like the fact that I can put this on and go about my business without thinking about what I’m wearing. There’s no pulling, tugging or readjusting needed. That’s what I’m looking for in my me-made wardrobe.

BurdaStyle Twisty Top

One of my new year’s goals is to really make use of the BurdaStyle magazine patterns. I’ve been a subscriber for years and have made a few things but not enough. I decided that if I’m going to continue to receive that magazine, I had better use it. I really enjoy reading the magazine and I always pick out a few things that I like in almost every issue. But, I haven’t taken the time to actually MAKE them. So, this year, my goal is to make at least one item from an issue for that month from any year. In other words, as February approaches, I’ve chosen something I want to make from a February issue from 2012. That gives me more options and it’s more fun and less limiting. That being said, I have at least accomplished this for January.

BurdaStyle 01/2018 #102

This is 01-2018 #102. It’s shown in the magazine as athleisure wear which it certainly can be. I made mine using athletic/performance fabric I bought at Joann’s. I made no alterations to the pattern. But, this top is designed well enough that made from a different fabric (they suggest silk jersey), you could wear this for a night out on the town. I love versatile patterns!

You could even make this with short sleeves for warmer weather.

The biggest surprise for me was that this was very easy to make. Anyone who’s ever tried one of their patterns knows that the directions can sometimes be a bit confusing. This was straight-forward.

So it’ll be on to the next project for me and hoping to get a February make done!

BurdaStyle 01/2018 #102

Making Tops With Angela Wolf

Okay. So not exactly with her, but using her “Delila” pattern. There are 9 versions to make with this ONE pattern! I love that because right off the bat, I feel like I’ve really gotten my money’s worth. This is a versatile and easy pattern to make.

AW1531

I made two of these tops. The top one is made from a cotton blend knit with metal pieces for decoration. the bottom is an ITY knit that has more of a four-way stretch. The extra stretch of the bottom one make it very comfortable. That was the second one that I made and I did it in about 1-1/2 hours.

Both of these tops are the same version (with the cuff added). I really like the length of the top too. I find them easy to wear and move in.

The neck binding is attached in a way I’ve never done before, but it works so well, I’ve started doing other knit tops the same way. The neck binding piece is attached, then folded over the raw seam allowance, then topstitched down. It’s much easier than any other attachment I’ve done and I get better, more professional-looking results.

The only problem I had with sewing the tops happened when making the dark blue (with metal) top.

Apparently, this is what happens when you use a double needle on a fabric with metal pieces and, I suspect, try to sew too fast… No damage to me, the top, or my machine.

Anyway, this is a terrific and versatile pattern that can be used to make something really casual or a bit dressier.