All posts tagged: McCalls

Hacking McCalls 6612 – 3 very different Tops

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Following on from the success of my Little Red Dress I decided to use the sleeves I’d cut out but not used,  and some double knit jersey from my scrap bin, to whip up a t shirt. I raised the neckline by an inch and shortened the dress pattern to hip length. I feel a bit like a 5 year old but I’ve worn this loads and it’s been in regular rotation worn with old denim shorts during the last month of what we call ‘summer’. I was thinking of making another when Bea mentioned on her IG feed that she had this gorgeous jersey going spare, I couldn’t believe my luck when I was able to snap it up.  She sent it with a lovely note and some other sewing goodies! As I’m a serial tracer and muslin maker it’s a real treat to be able to whip up a new garment in an hour or 2.  I’ve not really had any TNT patterns in the past but I think I definitely need more …

The Little Red Dress – McCalls 6612

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Back in June 2013 I bought a dress pattern which changed my life.  It was the Mcalls 6612 dress and tunic.  I made it up in a size 14 without even thinking I needed to measure myself.  Luckily due to the very stretchy nature of the fabric it fit. I’d not used this pattern again, until earlier in the summer, and I’ve since made 5 very different garments.  I measure a 16 chest and 12 hips but generally sew with a smaller seam allowance and keep my fingers crossed that it will fit.  So far so good! The first M6612 was a little red dress made with a cotton jersey from John Lewis.  I was going to add short sleeves but after sewing up the side seams whilst in auto pilot I decided not to bother as I nearly always sew sleeves in in the flat and couldn’t be bothered easing the sleeves in.  To jazz things up I added a striped trim to the neck and arm openings and absolutely love how it transformed …

McCalls 7577 – A playsuit with frilly legs!

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Back in February I joined Slimming World.  I’d lost about 10 pounds on my own, well not entirely on my own, I’d been hitting the gym classes with my bestie but I needed a bigger push to shed another 20 pounds. One of the things that spurred me on to loose the weight was the Mc Calls pattern 7577. As soon as I saw this cute little playsuit I really wanted to make it for my June holiday.   So as the inches melted away I rummaged in my stash and found the perfect fabric for View A but without the sleeves.  I bought this crepe from Leeds Market last November in the first SewUpNorth meet up.   Shockingly (for me) I didn’t trace the pattern and I didn’t make a muslin! My thoughts on tracing have changed slightly.  Before I used to trace absolutely everything as I was hoping to be a smaller size in the future, now i’m tending to cut straight into the patterns as I’m adamant I’m staying the size I …