McCall's 5522

I bought this pattern for myself, after I saw it was not only a Pattern Review favourite for 2009, but has multiple front bodice pieces for different cup sizes.I am not at all fond of making full bust adjustments.



However, my daughter beat me to this pattern. She asked for the full on, puffy sleeved, ruffled, over the top version A, with the in between length sleeve from version B.I was a little dubious - the monstrous sleeve gathering and the 2 inch wide front ruffle worried me.
I was then a bit annoyed to find that this pattern is only multiple cup size for larger than B cup, she needing an A, but I lazily used the pattern piece that stated it was for A and B - doesn't McCall think there is a difference? I thought the ruffle would be sufficiently disguising in this area to allow some laziness.





As usual, my daughter's eye for what suits her is better than mine.
This blouse is made from a $4 piece of probably poly cotton from the Op shop (that is vernacular for "Opportunity Shop" Elizabeth, and yes, it is apparently known elsewhere as a thrift or charity shop. I will have you speaking Strine yet!). I chose this fabric due to my doubts about the puffiness, and the drape seems just right (the price was even better). I still think the sleeves could be overwhelming in a fabric even slightly more crisp.

In the interests of full disclosure I admit that I used my overlocker to finish nearly every seam in this garment. This caused some problems with the hem - overlocked seams being rather difficult to fit through a narrow hem foot, and also some muttering when I found that the lower part of this blouse did not fit at all ( I used size 8 - according to my daughter's top half measurements) - see the godets I insterted at the back?



In the end I cut off the horrid overlocked seams in order to instert these. I think this sort of outcome is why I do not use my overlocker as often as I feel I should.
I also took in the shoulders around 3 cm, again after I had overlocked the seams to finish them - I was lazy again, and just sewed 1.5cm inside the original seamline.



My daughter is extremely pleased with this blouse, and wants it in her SWAP. This means that the pale blue trousers and skirt have just been evicted from the plan, as the colour is too close for the garments to be worn together. I am thinking of a nice grey flippy skirt from Burda 1/2010.