The Dixie Woven Top

I had to make another Style Arc pattern and I had this adorable Dixie Woven top all printed, taped together and ready to go.  The problem?  I didn't have my printer scaled to what I needed to and my muslin was H-U-G-E!  I didn't realize how large it was until I compared the scaling I used to what it supposed to be and dang, what a waste of time!  Although, in hindsight, I did work out some kinks and I love how my 'real' top finished!



From the StyleArc pattern back, This is a great top.  The curved front and back yokes make it a fashionable style that can be worn on any occasion.  Colour-blocking this style in your favorite colours to create your unique look.  

Fabric suggestions are silk, crepe, rayon, or any other soft fabric.  I found this pretty Maggie London Rayon Challis in my stash and it screams spring/summer to me, perfect to create on this gloomy, not so warm early spring day.

Construction is pretty straight forward if you have some experience sewing.  Mind you, nothing is terribly difficult, but to get the finishes to look professional you need to have some familiarity with various tools and how to use them to get a great result.

With every StyleArc pattern I have used to date, instructions are minimal.  This pattern is no exception, however with that said there is one full page devoted to images of the neckband, hemline, and back button and loop closure.  I was particularly interested in the neckband as I haven't created one like that before and in all honesty, that is what drew me to this cute top.

There is a neck guide piece devoted to help you line up the opening at the neck to the correct width. Use this piece to line up the pieces of the front split to the neckband and you'll do fine.  Since my fabric is rather soft and malleable, I wanted to make sure the neckline didn't end up wonky so I took a few extra steps.  These steps are not included in the instructions.


1.  Staystitch the neckline, just do it and you'll be happy you did.  Lots of patterns skip this step, but it takes less than a minute and will save you the heartache of having a ruined top.
2.  After pressing the neckband in half with the right sides together, take this a step further and fold just one half to the center so it is 3/4 of the original width.  This will help when you stitch the neckband to the top.
3.  When stitching the neckband, sandwich a piece of staytape to the seam as you sew to prevent stretching.  The staytape will be on the inside of the band when finished.
4.  Use 1/4" steam-a-seam to secure the inside portion of the neckband.  When you folded a long side of the band and pressed, this became the inside or skin side of the band.  Attach the steam-a-seam here and pressing will be easy and you'll have a clean and perfectly matched edge to secure with topstitching.

My only other issue with the pattern directions are what I consider a misprint.  The directions tell you to press the front and back yoke to the upper portion of the garment, however if you press this way, you will see the edge of the seam on the top front where the front yoke makes a V.  I pressed downwards instead of up and it worked great.

Sorry, I can't get this picture to right itself!

This pattern went together great and I am excited for the weather to warm up so I can wear it with denim jeans or a skirt.  It is almost long enough to wear with leggings as the back is longer than the front.

Thanks so much for reading and I do highly recommend this pattern.  It's cute, sort of fast and gives you a chance to stretch your finishing skills!

Sue