Treat Yourself to Butterick B6966...
...No Tricks!

Fabrics

Pants - Telio “Downtown” Rayon/nylon/spandex suiting from (now defunct) Fabric Depot in Portland, OR

Top - Cotton/spandex jersey from Joanns 

Background:

Hooray!!! My favorite Palmer/Pletsch sewing pattern, McCalls M6571, has been reissued by Butterick! The new pattern number is B6966. Palmer/Pletsch’s one-seam pants can be made out of woven fabric with a back zipper, as I have done here, or out of knit fabric with an elastic waist. Sadly, Downtown does not seem to be available anymore, but stretch bengaline is available from other vendors. The tee shirt in this pattern can be made with a variety of necklines and sleeve lengths; I’ve used this style for everything from ITY knits to sweater knits.

Fitting Notes:

B6966 is a Palmer/Pletsch pattern, so all the alteration lines you need are printed on the pattern. On the top pattern, I made high round back, forward shoulder, full bust, and sway back alterations. I altered the pants for a narrow back, dropped the seat, and remarked the waistline.

Construction Details:

I constructed this outfit on my old Bernina Sport sewing machine – no fancy feet or knit stitches! (My regular machine is in the shop.) For the tee shirt, I used a straight stitch and Mettler Seraflex thread. Seraflex has elasticity to it, so the seams and hems are stretchy and don’t “pop.” It’s great for knit fabrics. The pattern contains fantastic shortcuts and construction details. For example, the neckline facings are attached to the armscye to keep them from flapping. Instead of the pattern’s waist treatment, I faced the waist with 1” lingerie elastic; it’s a comfortable alternative to couture petersham-faced waist treatments. You can find instructions for this waistband in my blog post or you can schedule a private session, and learn the technique one-on-one.