not really worth the time and effort

Sometimes when I am sewing a new garment, I get about halfway through it and start to think, "I could buy this at Target for $6.99, why am I bothering to make it?!?" This is about the same time I start wearing my shoulders as earmuffs because the tediousness of the sewing is stressing me out.

McCall's M5456 would be the latest example of this phenomenon.



I don't know why I can't take better photos of my stuff. Sorry. Rest assured it looks much less wrinkly in real life and my Daughter does not go out looking like a rumpled mess every day.

Anyway, I just didn't really enjoy this one. It felt like a slog through the mud rather than a fun, quick little project.

Pattern: McCall's M5456 view E, size 2

Fabric: 100% cotton purchased at Joann's - from their new quilting basics collection, to which I say this: FOR SHAME, JOANN FABRICS! You call this a quilting fabric?!? This is a very thin fabric that I would never, ever, ever use in a quilt unless I wanted that quilt to disintegrate the moment it was washed. I'm not even sure how it will hold up in the washer as a shirt. I only got it because it was soft and pretty and I almost never use "good stuff" on the first run-through of a pattern.

Mods: I stitched a hook & eye closure into the back neck rather than a button and thread loop as called for. This is to be a playshirt, so I didn't want to expend much more effort than I already had by the time I was finishing. Also, rather than sew a casing inside the sleeve into which the elastic would be inserted, I just stretched the 1/4" elastic very tightly and sewed it directly to the inside of the sleeve using a small zig-zag stitch. Came out ok and was much less work.

Here is the back:



I'm not sure if I'll try this one again. Of course, there is no rush as this one probably won't fit Daughter till she's 3 or 4 anyway. I'll try it on her, but she has an 18" chest measurement and this shirt is way bigger than that, I can tell you. If I do make it again, I will try view D, and I'm contemplating drafting the bottom shirt section as a long piece and making a dress out of the thing. I might like that a lot better. We'll see.

Well, because I spent yesterday and today sewing this thing, nothing else has been done...in fact, it's 3:30 and I haven't eaten lunch yet today. Yikes! Time to pack in the sewing for today and scrape up some lunch before I pass out.