McCall’s 7094 & Ginger Jeans

It is officially fall! And with  today’s temperature it actually feels like it. This morning I decided to indulge in a  nice hot cup a tea which I haven’t done in months!

I think the timing was perfect with this outfit. My first two fall projects done and I am very excited about them! In my last post I shared my plans for Autumn & Winter Sewing. If you check it out you will see these two items were on that list.

McCall’s 7094

Pattern Description

loose-fitting blouse with pleated shoulder seams , back gathered into a yoke . There are four versions to mix and match. sleeveless, long-sleeved ,3/4 sleeve with button tab , straight hem,curved hem and open back version.

I was attracted to this pattern because it resembled tops that I love and own in RTW . All of the different versions got my imagination running on how many different tops I could make from this one pattern. For this blouse I made the curved hem bodice of view D with the button tab sleeves on view C.

Sizing 

I’ve come to the conclusion that with McCall’s patterns I am usually a small , if it is a pattern for knit fabric I might have to make an xs. My measurements are  Bust -34 1/2 , waist -28 1/2 , hips – 40 . Another great way to figure out your size is to measure the pattern piece and compare it to a similar piece of clothing you own and like the fit of.

Fabric Used

polyester crepe from Fabric.com

Pattern Alterations or Design Changes

I decided to make an inverted pleat on the back instead of gathers. To do this I took 1 inch out of the center back, and I made my pleat making sure the back piece was the same width as the back yoke. I also finished the hem with bias tape instead of a narrow hem.

Were The Instructions Easy to Follow? 

Yes they were …but I did stop following the instructions once I was done with the front neck-band and pleats. I did some edge-stiching to avoid the recommended hand stitching on the front neckband. I also used the Burrito method to attach the back yoke to the front bodice .  I attached my sleeves in the flat before sewing the side seams, I prefer that to setting in sleeves.

Would you sew it again? Recommend it? 

I really love the outcome but I don’t think I will sew it again because of the tedious front neck-band and pleats. But I may use the open back pattern pieces and combine them with a simpler front bodice from another pattern. That’s something to think about for next spring…

I would recommend this pattern to an intermediate seamstress who is looking for some unique details and a casual blouse. I don’t think this is a pattern I would’ve tackled as a beginner.

Ginger jeans

At this point the Ginger jeans are a TNT (tried & True ) pattern for me, which makes it seem much faster and easier to make when the fit is already great. In order to get the best fit  for my body I had to grade my pattern from a size 8 at the waist to a 10 at the hips. I also took out 3/8 inch from the back yoke and waistband. Doing this eliminated the gapping that happens in the back waistband due to my swayback. 

I still baste everything first since not all denim has the same amount of stretch. This black denim was a bit more stiff so I had to let the seams out a bit.

I made this pair mid rise using this tutorial from heather Lou. she explains how to lower the rise of the high-waist version. It wasn’t as complicated as I thought it would be, I’m glad i tried it!   The denim  had been in my stash for about a year, I bought it from fabric.com but I’m not sure If it is still available.

 

I had some fun making a design on the back pockets. I drew it out in chalk and tried different types of lines until I came up with this. then I sewed carefully over my chalk lines. I went with grey top-stiching and I think it goes great with the black denim.

 

 There are definitely more of these babies to come! I can never have enough jeans.

 

As always Thank you for reading!!

xx-Tai