Butterick B6713 Sweater: A Different Kind of Nightmare

I’ve made this top only once before and I deemed it a nightmare. In spite of that, a vision of it popped into my head when I saw and signed up to sew a strike of this cotton woven sweater fabric. Oh, starry-eyed Deb, you have no idea you just signed up for nightmare, round 2.

First, the finished product, just so we know this post is headed somewhere nice in the end.

About the Fabric

Main: Cream Stone, Thick Twill Woven Fabric from Boho Fabrics

• heavyweight
• no stretch
• content: cotton?

This fabric perplexed me. I had so many different thoughts about it: it looks like a rug or upholstery fabric, it’s weighty and cozy, it’s ivory/beige which isn’t always a friendly color for us fair-skinned folk, this could easily end up looking matronly, the texture really is gorgeous… Toeing the lines between all that added to the challenge of everything below.

As far as working with it, it was quite easy. Being a woven, the cut edges will (and did) fray a lot, and I had to be very careful to not catch and pull the weave.

I should also note the pattern I used calls for a lightweight woven like rayon challis. This fabric is so much the opposite of that, but I was game to see what happened.

Binding: some kind of black polyster woven I had left over from a failed nightie

I think this fabric was a remnant from JoAnn’s from years ago when I started this whole sewing thing. I’m not totally sure it’s polyester, but it’s got that polyester texture to it. I think it’s a good guess.

Collar: Black, Heavy Scuba Knit Faux Suede from Boho Fabrics

• Contents: Polyester/Spandex
• Weight: 14 oz
• Width of Fabric: 60″
• Horizontal Stretch: 75%
• Vertical Stretch: none

I used the back side of this fabric for the collar to better match the binding. Leftover from my M7254 Blazer (man alive, do I hate Big Four pattern names), it was nice to use for this collar since it had a little bit of 2-way stretch and good weight.

Drawstring: Black Polyester Satin-Faced Georgette from Mood

I wanted the drawstring to drape well, so I needed a fluid fabric and this leftover Georgette from my Mom’s scarves was perfect.

About This Make

• size 12
• view C sleeves with elastic

What I Did Differently

Ohmawerd so much.

• decreased serger presser foot pressure from 4 to 2
• cut sleeve elastic at 7″ for a final 6″ measurement
• used 1/2″ seam binding as casings for sleeve elastic and sewed them on the flat
• used 1.5″ bias strip for binding bodice hem and neck
• used 1″ bias strip for binding sleeve hems
• cut drawstring at ~46″ x 1″
• used punch size #4 for suede eyelets and #3.5 for woven eyelets
• used 1/4″ eyelets
• modified the back to use 6 eyelets and a drawstring closure. The pattern calls for hooks and eyes, cuz what better way to have your woven shirt randomly come undone. Last time I used a button, which is way better than hook/eye, but a little boring.
  
• used some bias binding along the sleeve cut-out, sleeve hems, bodice hem, and neckline to add some contrast
  
• modified the pleats:
  • I did start to follow the pattern as written, but the weight of this fabric and the color quickly changed my mind. The pleats were way too bulky around an equally bulky collar, and I feared the color would really just wash out my skin. So I began to fiddle.
  • Hung out in front of the mirror and experimented with how those bulky pleats should lay. Landed on something resembling a bow and moved forward.
  • Resumed the next day and was hating the bow. It was so not me; it really screamed old lady. Yeah, I’m officially 40 now, but let’s not slap a bulky bow over my boobs just yet. I unpicked the seams and the pleats and hung out in front of the mirror again.
  • Landed on something closer to the original pattern, but with the pleats staggered. That reduces the bulk and allows the binding to lay more flush against my body.
    
• drastically overhauled the collar:
  • drafted my own collar at 15″ x 5″ (final size ~14″ x 2″)
  • constructed it like a tube, folded in the open short ends and topstitched
  • serged bodice neckline to clean up fraying edges, then laid my collar right sides together around the bodice neckline and attached with my sewing machine
  • pressed the seam allowance down
• modified the collar/neckline connection
  • The pattern has the collar running through the gap created by the pleated neckline—a cute concept but something about it was lacking on my first version. I just never loved how it laid. (I tend to run into this issue on Big Four patterns: my Vogue jumpsuits were the same, as were my M7950 dresses.)
  • I cut an 8″ x 2.5″ strip of the faux suede, and using the back of the fabric as the front, sewed the long sides together to create a tube.
  • Hung out in front of the mirror again to figure precisely where to anchor the neckline on this strip of fabric. Decided on 1.75″ as the length of that strip. Sewed the collar and the neckline to this neck strip, left the excess, tried it on, and it didn’t look right.
  • Unpicked the neckline seam. (A smarter me would have basted but at least I was smart enough to keep the excess on the strip until I was happy.) Moved the neckline up until the neck strip was about 0.5″-0.75″ long. Sewed. Finally happy—with that part at least.
    
• wrangled the front center opening with some jump rings
  • I plan to replace these with some black ones, but it was necessary to use three jump rings along this opening to keep it from puckering outward awkwardly and putting my bra on display. Yet another common issue with Big Four patterns. If you ever want the world to have a wide open window to your bra, sew up a McCall’s, Vogue, Butterick or Simplicity pattern.

Concluding Thoughts

This thing took just SO MUCH. I wasn’t sure I’d get it to a place I liked and I couldn’t wait to be done!

I just kept adding and pivotingPIVOT!, it felt like it would never end. “I should bind the neck opening. I should bind the sleeve hems to balance it out. I should bind the hem to keep some length and help with the balance. I should redraft the collar in a different fabric. I should use a criss-crossing drawstring on the back for interest and adjustability. I should make the pleats into a bow. I should NOT have a chunky bow on my chest. I should I should I should….AHHHHH!”

In the end, I think I landed on something that looks like me. Is it my most favorite thing ever? Not at this point. I did wear it to work already and it’s more or less comfortable; the collar starts bugging me after a while, though, and in keeping with my experience wearing Simplicity patterns, they don’t look great when you move around or sit. If I do wear this again, I’m sure it won’t be very often. 😕 But hey, looks pretty good in photos!

Notes for Next Time

• Don’t make this again.

Project Settings

Sewing Machine vs. Serger

Sewing Machine	Serger
everything else (except for hand-sewing pleats)	edge finishing bodice neckline bodice center back bodice center front sleeve hems bodice hem sleeve seams bodice side seams

Sewing Machine Settings

Presser Foot	Stitch#	Stitch Width	Stitch Length	Needle	Top Thread Tension	Application
overedge (C)	2	3.5	3	90/14	4	sleeve casings
1/4"	2	3.5	3	90/14	4	binding seam 1 / topstitch
overedge (C)	2	3.5	3	90/14	4	binding seam 2
standard zig-zag (A)	1	3.5	3	90/14	4	seams
applique (F)	0	3.5	2.4	90/14	4	armscye tack
overedge (C)	2	3.5	3	90/14	4	sleeve binding seam 1
adjustable edge (SE#8)	2	0.5	3	90/14	4	sleeve binding seam 2
adjustable edge (SE max)	2	0.5	3	90/14	4	hem binding seam 2
overedge (C)	0	0.5	2.4	90/14	4	drawstring

Serger Settings

Stitch Name	4-thread overlock
Needles	R, L
Finger	B
Threads	4
Tension Left Needle	4
Tension Right Needle	4
Tension Upper Looper	4
Tension Lower Looper	4
Cut Width	6
Stitch Length	2.5
Differential	1.0
Application	seams / edge finish