New Look 6449 tank

This is a great wardrobe builder pattern if it fits you. It includes a knit shift dress (sleeves or sleeveless) and a woven shirt dress with optional tabs for rolling up the cuff. Both easy to shorten for a knit top and shirt. 

I didn't have any experience with New Look, but liked the look of the knit dress. It has good shoulder coverage and almost a wide shallow neckline. 

The pattern pieces for the front and the back are the same for both the sleeved and sleeveless versions. This wasn't a total surprise, since it seems like most? all? of the big 4 patterns now create their sleeveless versions by simply leaving the sleeves off. That's really an argument for searching out vintage versions of classics like a plain knit top. In my recollection (I've been sewing over 50 years) you would get different pattern pieces for sleeveless versions.

And that's why I used some leftover knit to make up a test garment and make alterations. There was enough gaping in the armhole that it would have been unwearable. Applying the sleeve band helped a little, but not enough.

Here's the alteration: 

Slash from the front notch to the vicinity of the bust point (I drew the red circles so I could avoid getting a flower on my apex) and from that point to the hem. The test garment showed that I needed to pinch out 3/4 inch at the armhole, and doing that opened up the hem line quite a bit. I did need a little extra at the hip, but not the total amount, so I made another slash from the underarm to the first slash and pivoted the hem in about half of the distance. 

The altered pattern. Hard to see the changes...

for clarity: the red lines show closing a wedge at the armhole and spreading at the hem. The second slash in green let me pivot the hemline back in to reduce some of the spread.

Here is the finished top on. I really do like the neckline. It's nice and wide, almost like a boat neck, but it doesn't show my bra straps. I also like the shoulder coverage. 

It takes only a yard of fabric, so I can indulge in all kinds of cute knits. This one is an Art Gallery cotton lycra. It is a very nice weight and feels good to wear. Some knits can be sewn with a regular foot and microtex needle, but for this I needed the walking foot and stretch needle.

I love having TNTs of basics, and this is a good one to have. Ready for spring!