Slow Progress...

So, I decided this afternoon that I needed to do some sewing. I haven't been behind my machine in nearly a week and I was getting a little jittery. :) I've been sitting on this pattern for quite a while: McCall's 6070.

It's an easy enough pattern - a simple design, but a nice silhouette. After waiting for the perfect knit fabric to jump out at me, I finally decided on a very pretty forest green soft rayon knit. It's gorgeous and it feels amazing.

When it comes to knits, I usually just jump right in. It's stretchy and forgives a lot of sins in fitting (and I'm a little too impatient sometimes). I used the entire afternoon session (the length of time my 14-month-old will nap) just trying to lay out the pattern. There is usually some amount of give in the amount of fabric required by the pattern. Well, not this one folks! In fact, it was so tight, I had to rearrange the layout from the one given... a first for me. In case you're wondering how to do it with 58" wide knit - this is about the only way it will work. 

 

Fold your fabric into the center so there are folds on both top and bottom. There is *barely* enough room to cut out your front/back piece - I had a little leeway because I was cutting a 12 rather than the largest size (14). The pattern instructions would have you use a regular single fold for the remaining pieces, but with the yardage suggestion, there isn't quite enough to get all the cuts made. I suggest keeping the double fold so that you can cut pieces 5 and 6 on both folds. Trying to squeeze 4 pieces onto one fold didn't work at all. And there was absolutely no left over room for the tie back pieces that way either. (Note that they were supposed to fit between the front/back pieces somewhere... yeah, right!) Long story short - rearrange and it will work. Otherwise, just buy and extra 1/8 yard. Okay, moving on.

After the chillins went to bed this evening, I got to sit down again for a little while. I got as far as the bodice, but she's lookin' good so far! And Beatrice wears it so well, too, don't you think?

Front

Shoulder detail (encased elastic)

Back - with tiebacks 

It probably wouldn't have taken me nearly this long to get just this far, but the tiebacks absolutely take FOREVER! Turning those silly things right-side-out was migraine-inducing. Luckily I had a pair of long tweezers that helped keep me from trying to hang myself with them. If they weren't so damn cute, I'd have just chucked them. :)

 

It's finished! After several evenings of way-too-tired-after-the-babies-went-to-bed-ness, I finished up McCall's 6070 last night. Here's a shot of the finished product:

 

 Super cute and REALLY comfortable (have I mentioned how much I love rayon knit?)  I'm not going to win any awards for being avant garde with this one - definitely not runway material. But I love her just the same. I have made a promise to myself, though. Pattern. I will stray away from my solid-colored world of fashion and incorporate some pattern in my life! 

Next up: BurdaStyle.com 1 Piece Kimono Tee by Pixelink