Conjuring Spring with McCall's 6513

Once I finished Vogue 1378 (view B), I realized that I needed a long top to cover my behind.  Although they are not billed as leggings, they felt like leggings, and I felt a little exposed.  I am still working off the weight I gained during my bathroom renovations.

Since snow was falling, I relied solely on my stash.  My first plan was to sew the top (view A) in Vogue 1378 with some ITY purchased a few years ago.  Unfortunately, it called for more than 2 yards of 60" fabric, and I had just about 1.5 yard.  So I pulled something else out of my stash: McCall's 6513.

McCall's 6513: I made view B

Well, I thought I had a yard-and-a-half, but it was actually much less AND the fabric had been written on, which meant that I had to be creative cutting the pattern pieces.  So pattern-matching was out of the question.

I couldn't even remove the ink with alcohol.  What is that?
I probably got an end-of-bolt discount on this, but it's been so long I've forgotten.

The pattern went together quickly.  My only problems were with the fabric.  This was my first rodeo with ITY, and I had a heck of a time hog-tying it.  It is slippery.  I used clear elastic to stabilize the shoulder seams, and attempted to use clear elastic for the sleeve ruching (per the instructions).  The elastic was Hobby Lobby store brand, and it was just so crappy that it broke every time I tried to stretch it more than 10%.

Let me interrupt this broadcast for a rant. THIS is the real reason I don't shop Hobby Lobby anymore: their poor quality private label products!  I'm sure they bring in bigger margins, but I refuse to spend my valuable time sewing poor quality merchandise.

Anyway, back to sewing.  I remedied the lack of clear elastic the old-fashioned way, by gathering the fabric with long stitches.  It doesn't stretch, but I'm not convinced it is necessary.

Sleeve ruching

My only other difficulty involved the neckline.  I rejected the pattern's instructions to sew a simple hem, envisioning gaping and buckling.  I tried two options before settling on "bias strips" (really cut on the cross grain), stretched just a little bit while sewing.  My first fail involved twill tape, which I have seen on some wrap dresses.  The second attempt was with the awful aforementioned elastic.  Both were klutzy looking.

Neckline inside: strip cut on the cross grain and stretched while sewn to the neckline.
Turned and topstitched with a twin needle.

Neckline public side: there was a little rippling, but once pressed it was fine.

As with most wrap tops, it is very figure flattering.  The ruching across the midriff in view B (achieved with gathering stitches) was perfect for helping to camouflage that extra little bit of flesh I've been carrying.

A few reviewers of this pattern mentioned that the top was too long, but I think the length is just right for me (see "cover my behind," above).  Also, I made no adjustments to the neckline, and I was pleased with the coverage it provides.

It covers my behind, too.

It was a quick project to whip up, and I was eager to wear it immediately.  Unfortunately, I was also eager to take it off --  I hated the feel of the polyester ITY against my skin!  So it hung in my closet for a few weeks, and I pouted.  Funny thing, when I tried it on again last week, I really liked it. It seemed to fit me better, and pull less around the middle.  I've also lost a few pounds, so maybe it wasn't the polyester after all.  Either way, I ordered some rayon ITY to give it another go.

The green and black fabric doesn't really match the wine color of the pants, but it coordinates well enough. [I'm sure my daughter will tell me otherwise, but I like it.]  It also looks great with my many black pants, and it matches my breakfast almost perfectly.  Unfortunately, it's still too cold to wear it.