McCalls thoughts

I am cheered as always to see new patterns come out, Vogue can't be far behind, but haven't exactly had my socks knocked off by this latest McCalls batch.

Here are my thoughts:

This dress is interesting in that the garment shot shows a wider skirt than the line drawings, and the pleats explain that. If the bodice wasn't so boring I might have considered it.

Is that a centered zipper I see in this double-knit dress? You are kidding. This definitely would have an invisible zipper in RTW and there is not a zipper application harder to do than a centered zipper. The sample makers shouldn't put in details they wouldn't see in real clothes or wear themselves.

If you live where I live any jacket with a nice warm neck catches your eye. I think it would be possible to get creative with this pattern and I just might do that. But tell me where were their heads when they put a cozy neck on a jacket and then made it an unlined garment. Warm neck, cold body? The pattern companies seem to be in love with unlined jackets which to my mind are a contradiction in terms, plus those jackets stick and never hang right. 

This one caught my eye as wearable and sort of interesting but there is no bust shaping and a FBA would be too much trouble to add in such a simple dress.

I don't really need this pattern but thought this had potential for sewers who wanted a slim knit pant without going to leggings extremes and you have to love that natural waistband. I will look to see other sewers working on this one and may change mind about not needing it.

So overall I probably won't make an order for any of these, but might throw the jacket into the basket if Vogue delivers and I do my usual first-sale-possible purchases.

Tell me did I miss anything?

Summer McCalls

Summer sewing, the kind you actually do in the summer as opposed to the things you make in anticipation of summer, is very specific.


This has to be really make it this afternoon, finish it after supper, and wear it tomorrow stuff. If you live in a part of the world that is grey, cold, and rainy for about 6-7 months a year, grey and rainy for another two, well, when it is nice you get out there. (Thank you Tourism Nova Scotia, I wasn't expecting contract work anyway).


So I was very interested to see a notice for new summer McCalls in my inbox. 


Here is my first cut, subject to change because what is going to happen is I am going to see other patterns picked by other bloggers and be amazed I didn't notice them myself and change my mind entirely. There are a couple I am on the fence about too that I will probably wait to see made up. Isn't the internet wonderful? Being able to see something realized on a real person makes all the difference. Can you remember the days when you made something yourself and had no way to communicate with anyone else? How did we manage?


OK here we go:

I was really hoping for a new, fashionable pants pattern to play with but am very disappointed in these. I mean if this trim little model still has that baggy thing going on at the front crotch what are my chances of making it work? I am not going to buy a pattern that has an issue built in.

I like these racer back tops, they look cool and could be developed into dresses and even summer nightgowns. All you need is a comfortable strapless bra and you would be set. I am
sure someone somewhere has made one of those. I am quite taken with the stretch lace idea for one top.

This one has easy written all over it, plus you would get a lot of air moving up under those dresses on a really hot day. You have to think ahead about global warming and hot flashes, a border print would be perfect of course in the dress with the border print (I am so original) and if you got a good lining in that bodice maybe I could wear this without a bra. Or maybe not, expect my daughter will make that call.

I could probably extend the top above to make this dress, but it looks comfortable - absolutely all I wear in the summer are dresses - and the back interest makes up for the fact that this is just a basic shift. I have a ton of knits and I just like this.

This one really caught my eye. That opening thing is something I have seen around and like and if I can get some nice ponte knit with a breathable composition, it would work. However if you think about what I have already said about ease this is something I should not dismiss, as I might have, with "but my stomach will stick out" . But all that has changed since I read Erica Bunker last night on "underpinnings" . Maybe I should add some ease across the stomach and get some Spanx on. Of course I did have a pair once that I took off in the middle of a wedding in the washroom because I felt like a sausage in a casing (BTW there was another woman doing the same thing) but I have since heard that I must have had a size too small.
Miss Erica looks pretty damn smooth in her clothes so I think I need to revisit this.

So there you have it. Something to think about as I get ready to do some Easter pre-cooking today.

What caught my eye

Lots happening. This weekend will be posting on-me shots of the first White Shirt with review and the second one in-progress.


I like to start the new year with new patterns, and I have been waiting and waiting for them. I don't know about you, but spring and summer are my prime dress wearing seasons and I have been anxious for more dresses to think about.


McCall's site went up this morning, and here are a few patterns that caught my eye. I may not necessarily be making these, but they are under serious consideration.

Now this one has figure balancing, make-you-look-like-you- have-a-waist written all over it, but are they insane to say that those inserts make this an "Easy pattern"? I mean this one should come with a seam ripper in the envelope. I find the two colour contrast might get a bit old unless the colours were black and white or unexpected, but the idea of doing a colour block with a print is very interesting. Wish this came in multi-bust size though. This one might be tricky to do the FBA.

OK this is a little nutso but two prints (I have never done this and have been thinking about it) as in the black and red version, might be sort of cool. Really this is just an interesting housedress-go-to-the-grocery-store dress and I wear a lot of those. This pattern will probably see production.

 

Yes, I know when we all saw these come back we said "Yuck, been there done that" but like so many new styles once your eyes get re-used to it you see potential. Obviously comfortable and casual (a big seller around here). Not sure about the pockets on the legs. I actually had a brief moment where I thought "gee those would be handy for carrying around the bags when I take the boys for a walk, or for stowing little things I extract from my granddaughter's mouth" but really who wants to walk around with bags of poop or small sharp objects on their pants legs? However I think I will probably try this pants pattern in the privacy of my sewing room to see if I am completely delusional or not.

Off to the first classes of the new term. I am excited.

Later.