McCalls 6987 Ruffle-hem Tunic

Here's something that's kind of fun and off-beat - the McCalls 6987 ruffle-hem tunic. It received some pretty negative comments when it was released last year. But I like it! It has a bit of Lagenlook about it, if one just looks past the pics on the pattern envelope. The line art is better:

I went with View A, the conservative choice, for this first version - but I was really tempted by the hi-low  hem of View B. How about keeping that hemline, but making it a little shorter to go over pants or leggings...

This interesting abstract rayon challis is from Girl Charlee's Black Friday sale last November. It's the first time I've purchased challis from them - it's really nice and has just the right amount of drape for this pattern.

For the photo shoot, I paired the tunic with Harem Pants (Pattern Emporium). But I think it would look great with my white Kathryn Brenne ankle pants. I'll be trying that combo on its first adventure out of the house.

Sewing notes:

- Sewed the size 12.

- Did not use the neckline binding pattern. Instead I used a length of 1.75" wide bias fabric cut from black broadcloth and applied it freehand.

- Inserted the sleeves flat, rather than set-in, and sewed the underarm and bodice sides in one continuous seam. So much easier! particularly with challis. BTW the sleeve fits beautifully. The sleeve cap is just eased in - it's not gathered and bunchy. I like it.





The ruched sleeve detail is so pretty, but the pattern and I parted ways on this point. The instructions would have you stretch and stitch 1/4" elastic in place on the inside of the sleeve. Why work so hard? I gathered the ruching line with a basting stitch, and fixed it in place on the inside with 1/4" twill tape. Easy peasy.

And I love the ruffle - ruffles and I get along very nicely. But IMHO, it's a bit too full. So I trimmed off 15" to make it one and a half times the length of the tunic edge - a lesson from my Mom when I first started sewing. The next step was to fold it lengthwise and trim up the top and bottom edges with my rotary cutter. Challis slips off grain very easily - this quick fix gave me uniform width and clean edges on the ruffle. And the confidence to hem it before I attached it to the tunic!

I wish the photos could do it justice - it's very swingy, light, and comfortable. Different and a little funky.

I have an animal print from the savannah on the sewing machine right now - I'm off to tame it.

Ciao! Coco