Pattern Review: McCall's 5762 Tweed Jacket

According to the McCall's website, this one is already out of print...



Pattern Description: Misses' Lined Jackets: semi-fitted jacket with pleated front, back, and collar has collar band and yoke, sleeve variations and button closing: jackets A, B have trim.

I made view C, with elbow length, cuffed sleeves.

Pattern Sizing: This pattern is available in sizes 6-20. I made a 16.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, very much so.

Were the instructions easy to follow? I thought the instructions were easy to follow. There are quite a few details including lots of pleats, yoke pieces, and lining to name a few. This took me 9 hours of sewing time (not including cutting) to make but this was also due in part to the fabric I used which I will explain below.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like the large, pleated collar- I think it makes this jacket unique. I also like the pleating along the jacket front and back. I like the baby-doll shape as well. No dislikes.

Fabric Used: I used this tweed from Denver Fabrics. They called it a "boucle", but it is more of a tweed. I spent $12.50 on the tweed. I got a polyester satin for the lining.

The tweed became the bane of my sewing existence! I love the finished look but it was a pain in the tush to get there. To start with, it was very tough on the hands to cut out. The fabric is very prone to fraying and unraveling. By the end of this project I had little threads pulled from the raw edges all over my sewing room and tracked through the house. Although the seams are enclosed by the lining and facings, I did not trust the fabric to not unravel. So after I straight stitched the seam, I zigzagged each raw edge separately to prevent the unraveling. Certain parts of the garment such as the neck edge became very bulky with all of the layers of tweed. Needless to say, I think it will be awhile before I work with this fabric again. I need to wait until I have forgotten how much I despised it.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: So I cut this out to fit my pre-pregnancy waist of 31 inches. The baby-doll shape gives it so much wearing ease- it fits my now 42 inch pregnant belly and then some. I didn't make any changes except for omitting the interfacing. I felt that the tweed was bulky and sturdy enough to hold up in the areas that usually need it.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I don't think I will sew this one again because there are many other jackets I want to do. I do like how it came out though! I would recommend this one to others.

Conclusion: Great cool weather jacket and I think the tweed looks awesome in the end! *Note: I am not sure how much I would like this if I were not pregnant. The baby-doll shape gives it quite a bit of ease and it may look maternity on someone who is not pregnant. I could be wrong though- will try this on again after Baby arrives!



A view from the side:


Showing the lining:


~Jenny

Pattern Review: McCall's 5241 Knit Cozy

So I know you all made this like one or two years ago but I'm finally catching up on the trends...



Pattern Description: Misses' cardigan in three lengths: flared open front cardigan has irregular hem. I made C, the longest length.

Pattern Sizing: This pattern is available in sizes x-small to xx-large. I made a large (16-18).

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

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, the instructions were very easy. This wasn't quite a one hour pattern. I would say sewing time took two hours, with the hemming taking the longest amount of time. In the future, I may try cutting this out with a rotary cutter and leaving the raw edges un-hemmed, as others have suggested.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like how easy this went together. There were no side seams. Simply set the sleeves in and hem the edges! As others have mentioned, one might have to adjust the pattern piece for the width between the sleeves before cutting out, since there is no side seams.

Of course I like how this cardigan can be worn in endless different ways. Check out the DKNY website for ideas.

Fabric Used: Rayon jersey from fabric.com. This only cost me $9.96!

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: As you can see from the photo- I am very pregnant, almost 8 months. However, I made no adjustments.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, I might sew this one again. It's a versatile piece that will travel well too.

Conclusion: I plan on wearing this one after having the baby too. With my large belly, I can't tie the ends in all the fancy ways. It really only fits with the ends hanging or wrapped around the shoulders. However, I am looking forward to wearing the cardigan in many different ways once Baby has been born!



~Jenny

I Actually Made Something...

Hello everyone! I hope you all are having a wonderful start to a new year. If you've read any of my past few posts, you've probably been expecting to see more projects posted. However, the last few months have been grueling. I've been working full time, attending college classes, and have been pregnant on top of it all. Well, the attending classes is over for now so I will have more time for sewing again. I have three classes to do until I finish up with my Bachelors degree in nursing. Thankfully, they are all online so I can do them on my own time.

As I get bigger and bigger, I'm not feeling particularly fashionable. So I haven't made anything to wear. I have finished this Christmas quilt though that I started in 2009. It's from "Quilt" magazine, December/January 2009. It's called "Flakey Friends". Although, I mostly sew garments I do quilt on the side especially when I get into a rut. I finished this one on January 2nd- just in time for next Christmas... LOL!!!



I have also managed to crochet two baby blankets as well. Don't have any pictures of these this time.

In pregnancy news, I just started my 29th week. I can't believe how fast the time is passing. I think I've been incredibly blessed and have had a relatively comfortable and uneventful pregnancy so far. I've put on 17 pounds- the doctor does not want me to gain more than 20... we'll see how that goes! We are keeping the gender a surprise so sewing for the baby hasn't happened yet. I could make unisex items but it's much more fun to make girly things for a girl and boyish things for a boy!



With only 11 or so more weeks of pregnancy left, I don't know if I will actually make anything that is for maternity. I might start making some post pregnancy items although I don't know how long it will take me to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Maybe some knit items so I have some give will do the trick.

I don't have any fantastic resolutions to post. I want to be a good wife, a good mom, and a good friend. I want to be healthy and active. And of course, I want to sew more.

Thank you for sticking with me during my sewing drought. And I love all of your kind, encouraging comments. Until next time...

~Jenny