Out With The Old & In With The New - Resolutions & McCall 6078

Happy New Year! I'm looking forward to great things this year. Let's start the year off right with a review, M6078. I thought it would be cute for Watch Night service. According to Pattern Review, this is one of the easiest tops in the world! Construction was easy, but fit is a challenge. It runs very large in the shoulders, but I need all the room I can get in my hips ;-)

I love the pattern and I'm going to work on it more today to tweak the fit. Funny how I started with four yards of fabric and it's still a work in progress. The fabric is a sparkle (maybe eyelash) sweater knit I scooped up at Hancock years ago. I originally purchased it for V7264. I'd kinda decided I didn't really like the fabric. In hindsight, I'd fallen out of love with the pattern. The fabric is beautiful and I want more.

Back to the pattern at hand. I started with a medium in the shoulders, but it was way too big. I scrapped that one and cut a small. The small is still giving me fits. I thought that because I traced every size from the armhole down, I would be able to just taper to the XL for the hips. I still don't fully understand why, but that doesn't work. When I cross the back pieces using the CB line for a small, I need more width on the side of the pieces that didn't have the multi sizing. I'm not above admitting 100% user error.

In the meantime, I'm going back to the medium I cut and adjust the shoulders. I'm also going to add bra strap holders via this tutorial. Does anyone know if you can buy these as sew-in kits? I searched online and I found disposable ones and gadgets that were not supposed to be sewn in. The one I have now will be great after I lose some weight! No worries. I was happy to have something remotely wearable! The new one will be even better, but not perfect. I plan to make one or two in a plain rayon knit and those will be just right right :-)

Pattern Description: Top A has front and back stitched pleats, front drape, lapped back and extended shoulder seams 


Pattern Sizing: XS-XL 


Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Exactly! 


Were the instructions easy to follow? Easy enough for even me.


What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love the style of View A; it's figure flattering for me. It can be dressed up or down in both fabric and accessories. I've seen versions for a night on the town and some perfect for Saturday afternoon errands. I'd like to see how it would look under a jacket. It sews up quickly too. My dislike is the sizing. This would have been perfect except for the sizing. The shoulders are huge!


Fabric Used: Black sweater eyelash knit 


Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I'm determined to keep tweaking the fit, so I'll start with XS at the shoulders and taper to XL at the hips. I also want to insert bra strap holders. 


Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Because it's such a cute top, I'll have several of these before it's all over! It's a definite recommend.


Conclusion: 'Tis fabulous!

Since it is Jan 1, let me tell you about my sewing resolutions!

• Strengthen my sewing skills. I have too much fabric and too few clothes!
• Take a fitting class/workshop
• Complete 12 projects
• Become a more disciplined sewist
• Tissue fit
• Make muslins
• No UFOs!
• Be more organized (neater) as I sew
• Stop sewing over pins (I think I've learned my lesson)
• Be more patient
• And the biggie: STOP HOARDING FABRIC
• I will only buy fabric for what I'm currently making; not for what I'm planning to make.
• I will stop choosing fabric over food ;-)

I started going through fabric withdrawal yesterday! As I get ready to head downtown, I'm talking myself in and out of a trip to Vogue. I need to go to New Rainbow Fabric, which is across the street, for a silk organza press cloth. How can I not go to Vogue when they have this?

I think it will be the perfect replacement for the fabric I'm using now. It's brown, but I love the eyelashes. If I work on it now, I'm not breaking my resolution and I could have a snazzy version that fits now .... Problem solved! The stores are closed anyway for the holiday.

Happy New Year!