This pattern I’ve chosen was chosen an easy pattern on purpose. I’ve said it many times before, but with the fit learning curve I’m on, I need a simple easy to sew pattern so that the little time I have can be spent learning how to do alterations. I get to learn new techniques with the clothes I sew for my kids or on other projects.
McCalls 6379
For this update, I wanted to highly recommend a couple of steps for working with shifty fabric, whether it’s got a print you need to match, or not. Add in extra time to match the print while you’re cutting. You will need a snack of choice- something that you feel is a real treat. Mine was dark chocolate with chocolate mousse inside. Yeah. That made this process bearable.
1. Cut your front bodice lining out first (so long as the lining isn’t painfully shifty, too) and then iron it out and use it to cut your fashion fabric. Having the front bodice in one piece is a good idea for when you’re using shifty fabric.
2. You might have noticed in the bodice lining that I have the darts drawn on. I tend to keep my tracing paper on hand so I don’t get lazy and skip this step. I always appreciate it in the final product. You can get some tracing paper, like this one, and a tracing wheel and trace your darts onto the wrong side of your fabric.
To do that, you place the tracing paper in between the pattern and your fabric (or like I did in this case, I put the tracing paper in between the two pieces of fabric so I could trace both sides at once) and follow the lines of your dart. The pic below is me tracing the darts in the back pieces.
3. In this last picture, I wanted to suggest tracing your altered pattern pieces onto cardboard or poster board, especially if you really like the design or the fit. I altered one side, during the FBA, so I cut the tracing I had made and as you might see in the photo below, I traced it twice. I later taped both of the pieces together so I could make cut my pattern pieces.
Here’s the progress on the bodice and midriff. The midriff is cut on the bias which makes for a really cool change in the direction of the print.
I have the lining almost completely sewn together. This is more of a Spring dress but if the weather keeps at it, I might get to wear it before March 21st.
