NL6807 Revisited

This time, I have a really good excuse for my lapse in blog updates. I was on vacation! There were all the usual vacation preps (including some sewing mishaps), followed by the actual trip, and ending with the multi-day "vacation hangover" that is always waiting at home after being away. You know what I mean-- all the stuff that needs to be unpacked, laundered, etc., plus a pack of animals demanding attention.

I should have more sewing to share, but at the moment, all I can report on is New Look 6807. It's a top that I've made before, with good results, so I decided to try it again. There were a few bumps in the road this time, mostly caused by the fabric (I think). The fabric in question is a knit that I picked up on the sale table at Wal-Mart a couple of years ago. It's very thin, and very stretchy, but it was surprisingly easy to work with. And yet, there were issues...

Having made this top before, I knew that it runs large. Very large. I also knew that the neck band was just narrow enough to make it a bit of a pain to sew on, so I decided to widen it a little. The trouble started after gathering the front and back, and sewing on the band. All was well; it fit together perfectly... and then I pressed the band before sewing it down. It seemed normal until I tried it on. The neck was HUGE, and I had lost all of my gathers. All I can think is that the steam on the iron caused the whole thing (neckband and all) to stretch out horribly.

I fixed the front by adding an inverted pleat in the center, turning it into a "design feature". I very carefully sewed it in place by hand, making sure that everything aligned perfectly, in order to avoid removing the neckband. This fabric is so thin that I was able to get away with this without adding a lot of bulk. Next, I took a wedge out of the center back seam. (Note: this top is supposed to have a tie back, which I've eliminated on both versions that I made.) After these adjustments, the back neck was still a bit saggy. Not a lot, but it was enough to really bother me. I couldn't really afford to take it in any further at the CB seam without encountering bust fitting issues, so I simply inserted a piece of 1/4" elastic inside the back neck binding. Worked like a charm. :)

I have another not-yet-reviewed top that made the trip, but I never got a chance to wear it, so I'm waiting until I have photos. I also hoped to take a new dress and another top, but that was not to be. I messed up the hem on the dress (Lesson: do not try to sew at the 11th hour the night before leaving on vacation, when you are most certainly tired), and the top had buttonhole issues. I'm getting a real backlog of projects that need to be photographed and reviewed. I hope to get to them soon, but life keeps getting in the way. *sigh*