Behind the Scenes at Love Sewing - M7661 Reader Review

finished project
Back in November, I had the pleasure of going 'behind the scenes' at Love Sewing Magazine HQ for a 'Reader Review' photoshoot and I can finally show you what I made for it, as well as give you a little peek into the process! I didn't hesitate when asked as the pattern in question is one of my favourites of last year, the M7661 trousers (here's some I made earlier)! Issue 62, featuring my review and a free copy of the M7661 pattern is on sale now so go and grab a copy!

M7661 Trousers for Love Sewing issue 62

Pre-photoshoot
Amy kindly asked me if I'd like to be involved a month before the photoshoot, so this has been quite some time in the works. I'd already planed to make another pair with a contrast side panel, so it slotted in well with my sewing plans at the time. I had plenty of freedom to select the version and fabric I wanted to use, which Amy helped me source - thanks to Minerva Crafts for providing both of these. It was quite a tight turnaround to get the trousers made and ready for the shoot, but me being me, I obviously had to give myself extra work by making a Reeta Shirt to match (see previous versions here) from the contrast panel #sewingleftovers.

On set!
On the day
After a bit of home posing, I travelled to the Stockport-based studio with my garment bag in hand. I had my make up and hair done by Nina and Amy helped to prep my outfit for camera - amongst her many skills, she's also a talented top tucker and bow tier, who knew! Amy had offered to source tops/shoes for the shoot too and I had my pick from the accessory wall, but I chose to go with my own. Once I was ready, I got to go on set where Renata took many, many pictures! It's quite a different experience to my usual DIY picture taking set up - though similarly embarrassing at first - but it was fun once I got into it!
With Amy for the editors welcome!
After getting some review shots and pictures with Amy for her editor's welcome (hey guys I made it to page 3...!) I got the chance to get some extra snaps of the details and a headshot just for featuring on the blog.
Professionally avoiding fringe separation since 2005
Post-shoot, just checking what my make up looked like
Post production
And then there's the wait... The issue came out on December 27th (though I think subscribers received their copies a little earlier), so I had to keep quiet about the shoot until then! After the Christmas break, I got chance to go through the contact sheet and pick some of my own favourite images from the shoot, so you'll see some of these below spliced into my review.
Love Sewing issue 62

The review (and pictures!)
If it isn't the 'year of the trouser' for everyone else, then it certainly has been for me. The McCall's 7661 might just be my favourite trouser pattern of the ones I've sewn up this year - this is my third pair and I'd say they're the best yet!


The high-waisted trousers are really easy to both put together and wear, with the different views offering a few variations for the legs - either a more voluminous culotte and full length style, or the slimmer, but still fairly loose fitting leg with the option of contrast side panels. I opted for the latter and a tie waist for this pair with View A.


With winter in mind, I picked a soft, textured charcoal flannel suiting from Minerva Crafts priced at £7.99 per metre. I wanted a side panel that popped, so I had lots of colours to choose from with the luxurious Atelier Brunette Viscose Crepe. I eventually picked the 'Tangerine' colourway, priced at £15.99 per metre and also from Minerva Crafts. The crepe was a little lighter than I anticipated, so I got around this by doubling up my fabric for the side panel. (Eagle-eyed readers might also notice that I managed to squeeze a matching Reeta Shirt out of my leftovers too)!



The pattern has a lot of included ease, so I picked my size based on the finished garment measurements for the waist: a size 12, despite my measurements aligning more closely to the size 14. The fit through the hip is nice and relaxed, especially as the trousers are quite heavily gethered into the front waistband, so it's really only the waist that needs to fit snugly. A little tip for finding the finished waist measurement: check the waistband pattern pieces closely as you won't find it on the pattern envelope!


I made the pattern straight from the envelope with no adjustments. The trousers fasten with a centred lapped zipper at the back, but I swapped mine out for an invisible zip as I prefer the method and finish. From wearing my other pairs, I've also found that using a 10" zipper makes them much easier to wiggle on and off than the recommended length of 9".


This pattern is definitely a good introduction for anyone feeling a little tentative about trouser making, but with plenty of options for the bolder wearer to get creative with. The loose fit around the hips makes them both flattering and easy to fit. I love the contrast side panel and I can see myself playing with this again for version four, five and maybe more!


I hope you enjoyed a little peek into how things went - and a change from my regular red brick backdrop! Do you have your copy yet? Does the pattern tempt you? 


Stay in touch!

M7661 Culottes

Culottes
After the success of my first attempt with the McCall's M7661 (View A - the tie front, contrast side panel trousers, which I blogged about here) it was only right that I should test out View C, a pair of wide legged, high-waisted culottes. I love culottes. They're pretty much my go-to bottoms for work and play all summer, and as predicted, this version might just have bumped the Butterick B6178 off the top spot for my favourite culotte pattern!

M7661 in View C
I used fabric dug up from deep within my stash - clearly a forgotten gem as I'm sure I would've used it sooner had I remembered it. I bought a good chunk of it for just a couple of pounds from a Hebden Bridge Rag Market last year. It's a lightish weight cotton mix that makes for a lovely, airy wide-legged  trouser.


The fit through the waist and hip of View C is very similar to that of the trousers I made originally. This version is simplified slightly by skipping the contrast side panel, so I didn't have many excuses not to pattern match, particularly with the check of the fabric being quite large scale/bold too. The outcome is mostly good, and I'm not asking you to check out my bum, but check out that pattern match...!
Check that pattern match!
Pattern match perfection (on this side at least)!
Like my last version, I made a size 12 and the fit is on the comfortable side of spot on. I really haven't got much more to say about the construction or pattern that I didn't say last time other than how impressed I am with both versions! The silhouette is really easy to wear - the culottes are probably a bit more casual then the trousers. Below you can see them with the tie belts open - these are sewn into the side seams so can be fastened as loosely or tight as you like around the front.
Tie belts
I'm feeling a real increase in confidence and interest in 'Big 4' patterns at the moment and my results with the M7661 have been a real influencing factor in this (please someone else make a pair so it's not just me singing the pattern's praises)! I've just bought a couple of Simplicity patterns (the S8608 for the jumpsuit and the S8609 for the tops) so I'm hoping I'll have similar success with those!


Does anyone else have any favourite 'Big 4' patterns of the moment?

Stay in touch!




M7661 Trousers

finished project
Having made a soft start at the Curated Closet process - i.e. I've only got as far as making a Pinterest board - I realised that I really only want to wear trousers, something that isn't quite reflected in my wardrobe. I finally got the Lander Pants to fit on my 4th attempt (more on these soon!) so I needed a bit of respite with a trouser pattern that was hopefully a little easier to fit. I chose the M7661 pattern as a prize for winning star make on The Fold Line, and the pair I've made have fast become my go-to bottoms!
New favourite trousers!!
The pattern offers 4 variations on the high-waisted, wide-legged culotte/trouser, with a concealed zip fastening at the back and a tie or belt at the waist. All versions have pockets and a generous amount of gathering around the front, which is surprisingly flattering and relaxed enough to accommodate a fair sized food baby. I cut View A with the leg length of View B, but I ended up hemming them at around A's length anyway.
McCall's M7661 pattern
Texture/detail of fabric up close
I used this stripe poly/viscose with a slight stretch to it. It's only a cheap suiting fabric, but I thought it would be good for testing out the pattern before committing to something more expensive. I was keen to make the most out of the contrasting side panel using the fabric I had, so I cut mine out on the cross grain to make the stripes horizontal (these panels would also be a good use of long, thin #sewingleftovers)! I'd say they've turned out part Pirates of the Caribbean/part Vivienne Westwood which I'm totally ok with! For future pairs, I'll be looking towards the Orageuse Patterns Bruges trousers for inspiration - the red stripe on their sample pair looks amazing.

Showing off that side panel!
Pocket placement appreciation
The inseam pockets that sit along the front of the contrast strip are roomy and feel really perfectly placed, whilst the contrast panel is more visible from the back, which I think that makes the design of the trousers all the more interesting. The waist ties are sewn into the side seams of the waistband and are more decorative than anything, though I imagine they could easily be switched to a full belt depending on personal preference. I made the size 12 and the fit is just about perfect apart from a tiny bit of excess in the front waist, so the belt does help to pull this in, almost creating a paper-bag effect with the depth of the waistband.

Back view (excuse my extreme paleness)
The finished trousers feel both smart and relaxed to wear. The tiny bit of stretch in the fabric, paired with the deep and high-sitting waistband make them the ultimate comfort bottoms. I'll definitely be using this pattern again, and I think View C might become my new go-to culotte pattern (sorry Butterick 6178 - it's time to switch it up)!

Thanks Chris for photo-taking!
The fabric had some slight faults in it, so Lucky Fashions (in Dewsbury) cut me loads more than needed. I see some definite #sewingleftovers coming up! There's about 1.5m left, so I'm thinking a matching top for the faux-jumpsuit/mix and match separates look, but I'm not sure which pattern would be best. Something without too much volume that can be easily tucked in would work well - if you have any suggestions, please send them my way!!

Stay in touch!

A fitting end to the year... the M7429

finished project
I'm not usually one for party dresses, but I've been waiting so long to find the perfect fabric for this pattern and by chance, it came along just in time for the festive season! My sewing progress has been hampered by hit and miss fit in recent months, which has been really demotivating - I'm finding a change in measurements really difficult to adjust to - so I'm totally relieved and thrilled to report a success in fit for my final make of the year: the McCall's M7429 dress.

My finished M7429 in view A
I picked the pattern out as a prize from The Fold Line (I think for my review of the Waver Jacket?!) over a year ago, and always had velvet in mind for it, but just never came across the right one. The pattern requires a knit with two-way stretch, which adds an extra layer of challenge to finding the perfect fabric. I had a few hours to kill on a recent trip to London and finally made it to Goldhawk Road for a proper shop. I'd been in nearly every shop before coming across this amazing orange stretch velvet in the basement of Fabrix, at only £11 for a couple of metres. 
M7429
Stretch guide at top of envelope
I was quite frustrated to find that there are no finished garment measurements listed (though I guess this could depend on the amount of stretch your chosen fabric has). There is at least a guide on the pattern envelope showing how far your fabric should stretch in both directions, but I had no idea how much famous 'big four ease' the pattern might have. My fabric stretched a tiny bit less than required in one direction and my measurements aligned most with a size 12, so I stuck with that, cutting view A, as well as the short sleeves seen in view D. 

Sorry, what??
In theory, this dress should be quick and easy to make up, but if you've tried this pattern and are a sensitive sewist like me, you might have shed at least a few tears over it from step 9 onwards. The instructions to create the twist on the front are honestly amongst the WORST I've ever seen. I was stubbornly determined to figure it out on my own, but my first attempt was so bad that I couldn't even face taking a picture. I unpicked the whole thing and turned to the internet for help.


I found and followed Brittany J Jones' brilliant tutorial on her YouTube channel and after spending all morning getting the twist wrong, it took me just 20 minutes to get it right. I can't thank Brittany enough for clearly explaining the cryptic instructions and judging by the comments, other people have had very similar experiences. Definitely don't attempt this dress without giving it a watch!
My finished twist front after following Brittany's tutorial
Extra points if you can spot stealth cat Enzo in the background!
Once the front is sewn together in one piece, the rest of the make is really straight forward and quite similar to constructing a garment like the Papercut Patterns Rise/Fall Turtleneck. I used a walking foot to help with sewing the velvet and finished edges with the overlocker. The velvet was slightly trickier to cut out and creates a bit of extra bulk at some points, but it works really well with the pattern overall.

Side shot!

The underside of the front skirt piece keeps trying to poke out a little as you can see in the picture above, so this might be something to bear in mind when it comes to picking a fabric. I did a couple of extra stitches by hand at the knot to try and keep it in place, but I don't particularly mind. I actually think the twist front is really flattering from all angles, regardless of the underside making the odd appearance!

Other side shot!
I used a cloth to help with pressing the seams, but from the markings on the back it looks like I wasn't being all that careful. Again, I'm pretty pleased with the finished dress on the whole, so I can't really say that I'm too bothered by it!

A few pressing marks on the back never hurt anyone.
I took 3" off the length of the sleeve as they looked a bit frumpy before and a shorter length seemed more flattering on me. I think the fit in all is just about right, though if you prefer a closer fit and have a good amount of stretch in your fabric, you could definitely play with down-sizing - I would probably downsize myself if I made it in a lighter weight fabric.

Thanks to Chris for capturing the me and our almost white Christmas
I wore my finished dress on Christmas Day and will be getting it back out for New Year celebrations! If I can find an interesting jersey then I'd definitely be up for making it again, perhaps as a dress for work - though I definitely won't be attempting it without help from YouTube next time!

On Christmas Day with the Ernest Wright and Son scissors Chris bought me

Thanks Brittany for well and truly saving the day with your tutorial! Has anyone else tried this pattern or finding themselves tempted to give it a go?

Stay in touch!



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