McCalls 6241, Canada post and scenes of marital discord

First off I finished my mother's skirts and boxed them up for the mail.

Of course Canada Post is on a rotating strike, mail is only being delivered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and not all cities are in operation at all times which means the mail is sort of getting through sometimes, maybe. 


As a tactic of industrial action I am not sure if this is as effective as it is confusing but being a natural optimist and near a post office today, and knowing too that as late as these skirts arrive it will probably still be ahead of summer, I mailed them anyway. 


When I showed up at the post office though the postal lady had a good old laugh so maybe my optimism is not entirely warranted.


The other sewing thing I did today was to revisit McCalls 6241, reviewed earlier. I like Dinah's suggestion, left in a comment, to apply some clear elastic to the front of the neckline to keep the neckline hem from rolling out. I wanted to try that on one version. Thank you Dinah it worked very well.


These photos show I think a much nicer neck on this top than on my earlier, hand-stitched rescue version.


I still need to work on my photographer a bit though. 


Here is me giving a lecture on the fact that most of my shots, IMO, are focused way too much on my belly and that I did not want a fat-stomach-small-head shot in this nice new top:

This is the next shot where I actually, and rarely, closed my mouth. My last words to the photographer was "How does my hair look?" To which he answered "Your hair looks just great."

You know he is a very good cook.


Tomorrow, if I manage to shirk all responsibilities, I am going to try this top once more with faced neckline.

McCalls 6241 on me

Tonight I dragged my husband away from the stove and had him take a picture of me in this top so you could see the issue with the neckline. Also it's always nicer to see a pattern on the wearee I think.


 I am definitely going to try again with a faced neckline.


Again, as usual, my weekend hair is pretty frizzy, but I may also be frazzled by being in the kitchen when my husband was in heavy pizza production. He's been cooking them in the oven at the self-clean temperature where it only takes 2 minutes each to cook a really nice pizza. Good for him when he is doing mass cooking.


I would never do such a crazy thing but he says it is a piece of cake as long as you take out those two screws from the door. Don't ask, I'm too smart to.


Also this is a lots of ease pattern, I made a 12 in this one and I haven't been a 12 since I was 12.


OK off to clean up after the cook.

McCalls 6241 and making things worse

Last night I made this pattern, previously written about as a what-was-I-thinking? and loved it. Just goes to show, try new things. Some work, some won't.

I will qualify that.


At the fitting stage, before I had hemmed the neckline, sleeves and bottom, I loved it. I was surprised at how elegant it was. Maybe not wearing it with sequined leggings as per the pattern envelope helped.


The fabric I used was a rayon/polyester single knit from Fabric.com and it had the drapeyness that this pattern obviously needed. I went slowly (easy to do when it is a super easy pattern) and basted the pleats in place so they wouldn't slip:

Because it was hanging so nicely in the fitting I decided to keep the edge finishes as light as I could (the cut edges hung perfectly). I then spent about a hour trying to get a roll hem on this fabric and even a 3 thread with no luck. The fabric curled away from the stitching in the roll hem and even with the differential waved too much with the 3 thread. 


So in the end I hand basted all hems in place and cover-hemmed them.


Not so good.


The hems at the bottom and sleeves were fine but the neckline was terrible. With the weight of the stitching the edge turned towards the front and the backside of the stitching showed. I was sooo disappointed. 


In the end as a fix I turned and hand-stitched the neckline down which is not a good solution and means I won't be wearing this for anything but dog-walking.


But I want to make this again. It has great potential.


Solutions I am considering include a facing for the neckline. You know extra length that you leave just cut and turn under. I have seen and used that on other patterns.


I have some more of the same fabric in navy in the wash now and am going to have another go at this.


Any thoughts?