McCall's 4813 (1975): Part I

Listening: Swallowtail, Flights of Fancy (1985).
Starting a new one right away.  This is . . . I don't want to call it a "throwaway" project, but it's definitely an easy-peasy one.  Famous last words, right?  I'm sure I'll find a way to make it much more difficult that it needs to be, or to completely mess it up.  I already took the yoke in a size, which will probably end up meaning it doesn't fit.  Ha, ha.

Proposed alterations:

1) Take it up a size.

2) Trim down the huge, blobby, 1970's collar into a neater one with points.

3) Reduce the bell on the bishop sleeve and do either a continuous lap or a shirt placket with cuff buttons instead of the weird wrist closure they suggest.

4) Test muslin: This calls for an opening at the back of the neck with a zipper and hooks-and-eyes.  I cannot believe that that neck opening won't accommodate a head, so I'll be doing a test muslin to see if the nape zipper is even necessary.

5) For the love of all that is holy . . . side-seam pockets!

6) Do a belt channel in the front and a separate waist tie instead of the attached tie shown, so a) it won't get tangled in the washing machine and b) I can wear it with a belt instead.

McCall's 4817 (1975):

and verso:

Dark red tiny windowpane homespun, given to me by a friend (out of her deceased mother's stash, I think.  Ah, funerals!):

Blobby 1970's collar:

I got this secondhand somewhere (obviously; it's older than I am).  The original owner left a back neck facing cut from her fabric choice in the packet:

I'm torn: Part of me says "Yikes!" and part of me thinks it's adorable.  I think I have a sentimental affection for prints like this because I was a kid in the late 1970's/1980's, when these were popular.  Sadly, the fabric is awful.  Coarse, itchy, very cheese-cloth-y.  I can't even tell if she prewashed because it's so stiff.

IKEA would probably have a good substitute.  Scandinavian countries still produce prints that sort-of resemble this.