McCalls 6401

With surfer son's partially finished body work on his car in the background, nice touch

With a never before noticed over bite - nearly every picture I am talking to the photographer. Linda pants from Style Arc, isn't that a nice pattern?

Well here we are.


McCalls 6401 is a sort of Big Shirt with ties at the sides to draw it in. Very dropped sleeves and one of those front bands that curves out slightly in a V so the first button starts about 7" down.


Here are my thoughts:

• I made this in some quilted cotton that I bought on that afternoon I thought I was going to develop into a quilter. Since that thought had left me by about 4:00 that same afternoon I make up some "wearable muslins" in that yardage. My intention was to see if this pattern would work in a White Shirt since I have a huge pile of that stuff waiting for patterns that inspire me.
• It is pretty big. Despite the fact I am a 16-18 bust I made the medium (12-14) and you can see for yourself how generous it is.
• I started to cut the longer version but when I realized how long it was I cut off 3". As I am 5'9" you can see how long it still is in length too.
• I really like the way you can use the ties to pull it in and how they tie at the side and not over your belly. Belting a big shirt like this often gives me a poofed out belly that is not cool. This is better.
• The only construction change I made, and I really believe in this one, was not to interface the front bands. I have done that in the past and even gone back in and removed it (now that was a fun job). I have been making shirts for neglected sons and I note that men's shirts never have interfaced bands. Personally with the four layers of the fabric in the bands a lot is happening there to add bulk - IMO adding interfacing just makes a shirt too stiff over the chest. If it was a good idea to interface those bands they would be adding it to the gazillion men's shirts that are manufactured.

To me this is not a bad going-to-the-store, weekend shirt. Since I go to the store and have a weekend every week I will probably wear it a fair bit. I will decide once I have done a day in it if it is too loose and may actually make a white shirt version.