Tank top time!

I made this a week or so ago but life got busy and I could never blog about it. The weather warmed up here and got me ready for the warmer weather.

I decided to attempt McCall's M6751.

The model is super cute in it so I looked forward to the end result. I tried finding a similar colored cotton fabric but nothing really stood out to me at the store. I ended up finding a cotton fabric at Joann's. The fabric is called Burnout Cotton Fabric-Packed Floral Multi and is 100% cotton. It was see-through so I lined it with a plain white cotton (basically I cut out two identical tops using each fabric and sewed them together).

I cut a size 12 and graded it out to a 14 for my hips. I also added 1" in length because it seemed short on the model and I know I couldn't pull it off.

And the result?

I apologize for my hair. I've been lazy with it lately. I should have put it up like the model...

The front neckline does not lay flat. It isn't bad but can be noticeable. Not sure if this was my fault or the way the pattern is done.

The back is where I am most disappointed. The hole is right where your bra strap is. I am not one to be able to go braless. Not sure what to do about this. Any suggestions?

Even adding an inch my belly still shows when I raise my arms. Something you might want to think about if you're making this top.

With the exception of my bra showing in the back it's not a bad top. It is comfortable, easy to move around in, and good for warm weather.

Taking a look at my top now and the model's I see her straps are smaller. I might go back and make mine smaller as well. But it won't fix the bra hole :(

Simplicity 1363

My plan was to create the perfect nautical themed outfit. The sailor pants I attempted to make were supposed to be the bottoms. This was supposed to be the top. I have to get the pants to fit because I love this top. Super comfortable!

So the pattern I used for the top was Simplicity 1363 view D.

It says "easy to sew" but I would have to disagree. How to make the neck band is like a foreign language to me. I could not figure out what the heck Simplicity wanted me to do. I started an online search to find other bloggers who may have made it to see what they said. Well, I'm happy to report I'm not the only one who had problems with this pattern. Seems a lot of people made it up as they went. So that's exactly what I did.

For the neck band I just put it right sides together raw edges even then sewed 3/8". Then I understitched. It seems to have worked fine.

And the result?

I know it's crooked on the bottom on this picture, but I promise it does really lay straight :)

The fabric I used was Chagall Crepe de Chine Scrolls Navy/Creme, which I bought at fabric.com. The fabric is lightweight, almost opaque, and very soft and comfortable. The only negative is it is 100% polyester.

The back of this pattern has a button closure. But it is loose enough that I can easily pull it on and off.

I'm already pear shaped so I think this might influence it more. Probably not the best thing for me. But I still like it.

And this is the reason why I wanted this top for my sailor pants. Short in the front to show off the cute front of the pants.

Simplicity 1467

This has most definitely been my most time consuming make so far. Not necessarily difficult, but a lot of steps. And a lot of interfacing. Very slow going for me. But I finished and have another top I can wear to the office. Yay me!

This is the Simplicity 1467 pattern, view A. I used the size 12 pattern, my standard pattern size for tops.

Did I mention interfacing? I went through quite a bit. All the top pieces and the arm holes all have interfacing. It calls for lightweight, I used featherweight because it was what I had. Doesn't seem to have made a difference. Don't skip the understitching, everything will constantly want to pop out.

This pattern also had the tiny loop you had to make for the buttons. Which of course, consists of sewing a teeny tiny piece of fabric then having to flip it right side out. I used a small safety pin I got from one of my RTW outfits when they give an extra button. It worked great for this small loop. I also didn't follow the directions, it said to sew at 1/4", but that would have put it halfway across, so instead I did it at approximately 1/8" so that I would have a larger hole to pull the fabric through.

And the final result...

A top that is a little too small at the hips. Haha. I'm slightly pear shaped. I really need to keep an eye on the finished measurements so my tops fit better at the waist. Looking at the model I should have realized this was closer fitting than the other tops I made. And this material is not stretchy. At All.

Sorry, I'm also squinting in the sun. You either get a dark picture, or me squinting.

I'm thinking of maybe adding a solid color dart on the side to expand the waist some. Because of all my cardigans it is not often someone will see the side anyway. It's wearable as is, but I think this would make it more comfortable. And it will lay better in the front and back.

My first time doing anything with buttons. I like them. I'm shocked I really didn't have any issues there.

This top also called for gathering in the front. My first time with this as well. Basically you use a long machine stitch, then pull the strings, even it out best you can, then it is sewn in place. Gives it a nice look.

This is a cheaper fabric. I cannot remember where I got it or what it is. I know it either came from Joann's or Hancock Fabrics. On all future purchases I will track this!

So instead of posting the few things I did when I first started sewing in 2015 I have decided to just put them here. After this I can start fresh with all my 2016 garments and can keep better track :)

In December I was dreaming about Summer. Maybe because I booked a cruise. So I decided to plan for he heat and make this tank top using the Simplicity 1372 pattern.

I opted to use some cute linen fabric I found at Joann's. For the straps I used silky fabric (I have no idea what it really is - Joann's had it under "silky types")

Here is the finished product:

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Then, my next attempt was my first knit project. I quickly learned I do not have the machine for the job. I can't use twin needles, I have no stretch stitch of any sort, I only have the small zig zag you turn until it's a big zig zag (I'm sure there is a name for it). So, I put it on the smallest it would let me and went with that. Hopefully I don't break the seams...

I used McCall's 6964 pattern, only the long sleeve version rather than this short sleeve one below.

And this is how it turned out:

One thing I learned from this one, other than I need a better machine, is be careful when pulling out threads! It is a lot harder with knit. I accidentally made a hole in my shirt! I had to pull it up slightly on the left to hide it behind the neckline. So sad!

I had one more shirt for 2015 but I don't have pictures so I'll just let it go. For my future projects I hope to get better pictures of me actually wearing the items so they wont seem so baggy on my tiny dress form.