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Saturday 7 April 2018

McCall's 6436 shirt in rayon crepe



A while ago I found this pretty rayon crepe fabric. Birds and flowers against a black backdrop, I just couldn't resist. I wanted to make a blouse that would showcase the lovely drape of this fabric and ordered M6436 during an online sale. It's a loose fitting shirt with front and back darts, front band, pleated two-piece sleeve with cuffs and a collar with collar stand.




I made view D and used the DDD cup size. Although I like the idea of different cup sizes I'm not too keen on the way it's executed in this pattern.




 That dart is gigantic! And it's also ending way too close to the bust point. Shortening the dart of course changes the angle of the dart legs, making it even more challenging to sew a decent looking non-pointy dart. It worked out fine with some careful pressing and of course those birds are a big help when it comes to cover up any less than perfect stitching. If I sew this pattern again I will definitely split these darts!

I used lightweight fusible interfacing for the collar to keep that soft look.



This shirt runs very long. I shortened it considerably but can't find the exact amount as my construction notes are missing. Another reminder to blog my projects as soon as they're finished!



Sleeve construction is simple. No placket, just leaving an opening in one of the sleeve seams will do. The perks of a two-pieced sleeve.



The back of this shirt is more fitted than the front. The darts provide nice shaping which of course looks more streamlined when there's not an extra layer bunching up underneath because you're freezing during a misty, moisty morning photoshoot.



The sleeves have a lot of volume, which works nicely with this drapey fabric.



One last picture of the blouse in action.



Can you tell there's a loved one behind the camera? That silly tripod on the other hand never provokes a genuine smile. Oh, and my Ames jeans, as seen in the top pictures, is no longer in one piece. Serious surgery under way! Whether surgery will be successful or not remains to be seen, update soon.

Final thoughts: 
It's a dream to wear, mainly due to the lovely fabric. This pattern absolutely needs a lightweight fabric like crepe, lace or silk to gently skim the body. The pattern runs large (and long). If I sew this again I will change that oversized dart and probably adjust the shoulders or add shoulder pads. But these are minor issues as I'm very happy with how this blouse turned out!


17 comments:

  1. My goodness, that really IS the biggest dart ever! I love the fabric you chose, it looks great and I bet it feels great too.

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    1. It's ginormous! I've read reviews by sewists using the pockets to hide the darts in plain fabrics ;)

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  2. I have that pattern, but I’ve never assembled it. Thanks for the tips. Gorgeous rayon print, by the way.

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    1. Thank you! Good luck with the pattern, it's really nice with the right fabric.

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  3. Your fabric choice is what makes this blouse sing! Lovely, lovely, lovely!

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    1. Floral blouses for the win! I really like your border print blouse, may try and copy that if I find a suitable fabric!

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  4. I love this pattern made up into a rayon - it really does work nicely. And the colours and pattern are so right for you. And it's nice seeing your daughter's handiwork - I bet the fabrics are beautiful.

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    1. Thank you. Yes, her fabrics are stunning!

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  5. Lovely blouse! You really got a marriage of fabric and pattern there. I want to use my block pattern to make a blouse pattern and your inventory of the good and less good features of this pattern really helps me, thanks! One more thing, from one of the comments i gather the last photo is of you with your daugther's fabric line? Is her fabric for sale? Does she have a showroom? I'm always on the lookout for nice fabrics to add to my stash... ;-)

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    1. Thanks, Lucia. Yes, the pink bolt is bespoke sustainable fabric! It's a mix of recycled cotton and recycled PET. You can follow my daughter's company at www.enschedetextielstad.nl (with newsletter option) or on Instagram @enschedetextielstad or Facebook (Enschede Textielstad). She does not have a webshop yet but I know she is thinking about organising sales events, maybe combined with a guided tour of the weaving mill.

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  6. Love your blouse! I've been eyeing a rayon crepe online similar to this one! I really love when they include the different bust sizes in a pattern but I agree they are often just gy-normous! I've just started dart manipulation and what a blessing it is - now I always split my darts, one into the armhole which I find often greatly improves my fit anyway.

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    1. Thank you. I really expected more from a different cup size pattern. If this was the outcome of a FBA I did myself I would have started all over! Dart manipulation is indeed a blessing.

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  7. I adore that fabric, it's exactly the kind of print I am drawn to. Your finished shirt looks fantastic.

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