I used a striped blue and white cotton shirting fabric. I decided to add my own little twist by lining the flounce in a solid blue cotton poplin. I also added piping above the flounce in the same solid blue color.
![]() |
McCall's M7542, Version D |
It's been some time since I have made a woven top (I usually prefer knit tops) and I do need more tops in my wardrobe so this contest was just what I needed to get me working on another top. The pattern's bodice has a boxy shape which I normally avoid but I do like how this top turned out.
In case anyone is interested in lining the flounce, following are the steps:
First, for each sleeve I cut the flounce in each fabric of course:
I hand basted them right sides together and machine stitched with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. I hand basted because I wanted to make sure the pieces did not shift as I handled them. Using the 1/4 seam allowance meant I did not need to trim the seam allowance and it would make it easier for me to press the seam open.
The trickiest part was pressing the seam open. I pulled the circles apart at the small center opening and inserted my Dritz seam roll. I placed the seam over the end of the seam roll and pressed with a steam iron 2 inches at a time. I did not worry about wrinkling the rest of the flounce. I could always press out any wrinkles later. For this important step, what mattered was making sure the seam was pressed open.
Once all of the seam allowance was pressed open, I turned it inside out from the center opening. I pressed the edge flat making sure that the edge did not favor one or the other side of the fabric.
I basted the center opening closed and continued with constructing the sleeve treating the flounce as one. Once the flounce was attached to the sleeve, I pondered how to best finish the inside. I could serge it but I did not want the serged edge to show when I lifted my arm or should the wind blow. My solution was to cut a bias strip and bind the raw edge.
The cotton shirting has a very tight weave which made it difficult to ease the sleeves. There is one sleeve I am not completely happy with so I will unstitch and re-attach that one (the left one). I did not have time to finesse the sleeve because the deadline to enter the contest was today, May 7, and I needed to finish in enough time to have photos taken before my photographer had to leave. I may make this pattern again with one of the other sleeves. Perhaps I will make it in another cotton shirting or a fabric with a looser weave. I may also add waist darts for more shaping but I will do so only if I use a solid color fabric or a busy all over print. The options are endless and that's what so great about sewing!
Happy Sewing!