Making A Tunic With New Look 6105

When I received this viscose challis from Minerva, I know right away the type of project I wanted to make. That’s how I decided that making a tunic with New Look 6105 would be the perfect patten/fabric combo. The pattern calls for some type of flowy fabric that can move.

The Pattern

This particular pattern is from 2012, and I honestly don’t know if it is still available. There are four variations with the pattern (sleeves, length, hem). I made View A. It features a high/low hem short sleeves that roll up and a one-button front placket.

The Fabric

This ia a non-stretch, 100% Viscose fabric in “Amber” that was gifted to me by Minerva Fabrics. It is super soft and flowy. I also love fabric that washes and dries well (without shrinkage). And because it is a natural fabric, it is breathable so it’s great for summer.

Viscose challis is a versatile fabric that can be used for many different garments. Here is another Minerva make I completed last year.

Making a tunic with New Look 6105

The only change I made to the pattern was to add a snap about 2″ above the button. Otherwise, the shirt was just WAY to open for my tastes.

If I was to make this again, I would shorten the length. In the photo on the pattern envelope, the tunic doesn’t look as long as mine turned out. Now, this isn’t a problem for this one, but in the future, I would make that change.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a pretty easy pattern to make. Here is the post I wrote that’s over on their site. This was something fun to make that is easy to wear with jeans or even some linen pants.

Because of the length on this one, I would be careful to style this with slimmer pants or jeans.

McCall’s 6963 Sequined Top

This project was made with fabric gifted to me by Minerva Fabrics in exchange for a post on their site. You can check that post out here. I say all that first because that is the reason behind choosing the pattern I chose. For this McCall’s 6963 sequined top, I wanted something without a lot of details. This green sequined fabric has enough sparkle on its own!

For my McCall’s 6963 sequined top, I made View B with 3/4 sleeves (View C). In all honesty, the older I get, the more I appreciate 3/4 sleeves. I used to hate them when I was younger. But now I find myself making them more often.

One Change

Anyway, this is a pattern I’ve had for quite a while and never made. The only alteration I made to the pattern was to make a full bust adjustment (FBA). I only increased the size by 1″. In the future, I would increase it more. But it’s also important to note that this material doesn’t have a tremendous amount of stretch, although it has enough. It’s a stretch velvet. Something like an ITY knit with a four-way stretch would yield a different result.

The pattern is an easy make. I did use my serger and had no problems going through the sequins which are more like shiny dots. Here’s what happened the last time I sewed sequins. If you don’t have a serger, you could easily make this with a regular machine and a zigzag stitch.

One Issue With Pattern

The only issue I had with the pattern is that the instructions call for gathering the sleeve cap. For me with a knit fabric, I see it as unnecessary. So of course, I didn’t do it. I inserted the sleeve flat (as I always do). You do end up with some gathers which I just spaced evenly.

The style is simple. The cowl neckline adds a nice detail. This is a top that can be made in a couple of hours. Sometimes we need those projects that are a quick, easy make and this is one of those.

Making a Raglan Sleeve Top

Making a raglan sleeve top can be a little confusing at first if you haven’t done it before. I have made a few, but I always have to take my time to make sure I attach the sleeve in the right spot. For this top, I used this Kwik Sew pattern 4041. I used some fabric I’ve had for (many) years.

With a raglan sleeve, the sleeve extends to the neckline/collar in one piece. So, there’s no traditional shoulder seam. I hadn’t used this pattern before, but this is one that I had picked up in a recent pattern haul.

Although this is an easy pattern to make, this first one took quite a while because I needed to match the stripes. I sewed a size large for this one, but it was a bit too large for me.

So, I wanted to make this again because I do like the style. Since I had traced the pattern, it was easy to trace again and make a size medium. I used some leftover fabric I had in my fabric stash and made the next one.

I think this is a much better fit. I used some leftover Minerva fabric for the body and black ribbed knit for the sleeves. This is a quick top to make when I don’t have to match up any stripes! The black and gray top took me about two hours to make.

On the pattern envelope you can see that this is a wider neckline. With that in mind, if you prefer something that’s not quite as wide, I would choose a different pattern. Because of how raglan sleeve tops are made, I would not want to go through the work of altering this particular pattern. I would just choose a different pattern design.

But my original navy blue and green striped is definitely wearable. I simply wear it with a T-shirt or tank underneath. The black and gray is warm and very comfortable (you know I like comfort).

The majority of the time, I do use my serger when I sew knits. I just love how the seams look and hold together when finished off with this. But if you’ve never sewn knits before, or don’t own a serger, not to worry.

You can simply use a zigzag stitch to sew the seams and that will give you the stretch you need for the seams.

I love sewing and wearing knit garments. They are comfortable to wear, easy to pack when traveling and easy to care for. Here’s a previous post on some other knit top patterns I’ve made.

Let me know if you sew knits or are you a bit apprehensive about it? It’s a process that can be much easier than you think!

Here’s a book that I find is full of helpful information and inspiration:

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