Sinclar: Lauren Top

So, I made another Sinclair pattern.  Is anyone surprised?  This one is the Lauren Top.  How could I not make this?  Here's the pattern photo: 

I love tops that drape yet have a modest neckline, so this was a no-brainer for me.  

It was such a nice day that I had to go outdoors for photos. That's pretty rare this time of year where I live.

This top requires a super drapey fabric.  I think this was a rayon-lycra blend and it works for this top. It was purchased from Fabric Mart.

See what I mean about requiring drape?  From this side view, you can totally see half of the pleats in the design.  

I love this blushy-pink/rose color. This is a relatively easy sew.  Just line up the pleats, baste them and you are half way done!  

There is also a dress and sleeveless version of this, so in the next few months, guess what I'll be making?

Thanks for reading!

Sue 

Staying warm with StyleArc Brooklyn top

Hi all!  I hope your winter is going well!  Here in the US, we've been cold and snowy lately so I decided to break out some sweater knit and sew up this super cute and cozy Brooklyn Top by StyleArc. Here it is!

I love the lines of this.  It's just perfect for cold winter days.  

And yes, I am back to photos in my kitchen.  It's just too cold outside (and dark) to take photos.

With this being a sweater knit, I took a precaution that I take with all knits.  You can see that below.

I fused SewkeysE stay tape and the back shoulder and neckline.  Some people use clear elastic, but I really like the stay tape.  I always add this to my back neckline as well.  If the knit has an open weave, I also stabilize the front neckline as well.  

This sweater knit is softer than the line drawing show.  I just love all these colors!

The length is perfect too. 

To go with the top, I made another pair of the Georgie Stretch Jeans, also by StyleArc.

I always get wrinkles under the booty, so I decided to try something different that helped!  This time, I lengthened the rise in the front and back and wow, it's not perfect yet, but what a difference!

This combo is comfortable, cozy, and warm!

Thanks for reading!

Sue

StyleArc Miley Top

Here's a fun little top for you to view today.  This is the Miley Woven top by my beloved StyleArc. Just look at those sleeves!

This went together easily and fairly quickly.  Isn't that just a wondering thing once in a while?

Sorry about the indoor photos but it was raining all day long.  

For this top, I used a silky print from JoAnns.  It feels like a crepe with some of that wonderful spongy quality it can have.  I love the colors for fall!

I made my usual alterations after I flat pattern measured.  This includes adding to the bust curve and then adding the same amount to the area between the shoulder blade and waistline.  That's it.

These sleeves are the highlight of the pattern and the fun part!  You make a casing and attach your longer tie at the top of that casing.  To gather it into soft folds, you pull on that tie and attach it to the lower tie that's attached at the flounce.

The longest part of making this blouse/top is hemming the flounces!

I'll be making this again!

Thanks for reading!

Sue

McCall's 7868

Today I have for you a top I made from the remnant from my Isabella skirt.  I am working so hard to have a zero gain in my stash of remnants.  So far, this proves to be working!  

Back to the pattern...

                   

I am loving these looser fitting tops right now.  Especially in pretty prints.  

Here's the description from the back of the envelope: 

Very loose-fitting tops have neckline and sleeve variations. A: Neck binding with hook and eye closure, elasticized sleeves. B: Collar with tie ends, button cuffs. C: Stand collar with hook and eye closure, button cuffs. D: Stand collar with hook and eye closure, button cuffs, elasticized waist with purchased bias tape casing.

So this is fairly close to the pattern photo, except for the width of the sleeves at the cuff.  Check out the difference between the pattern photo and mine. 

This was a very easy sew.  As usual, I did a bunch of flat pattern measurements and determined my size from there.  I only had to lengthen the bust curve and the area between the shoulder blades and waistline.

Since this is a looser fitting top, it's very comfortable to wear.  My only very slight concern is how low the front slit is.  I didn't wear a cami that day and wish I had!!!

I also noticed that the hook and eye at the neckline flies open once in a while.  Just be aware!  If I am feeling ambitious, I plan on taking the collar apart at the front opening and attaching some button loops and buttons.  Maybe just one...or possibly two.  

Thanks for reading!

Sue

Another Olive...

Yep, I made another.  I am trying to do some reorganizing as I my hubby is creating a more light-filled sewing space for me in another room in my home.  This will be a good thing.  There's a spacious closet and the presence of more light is so appealing to me.  

That, however leaves me with a lot to go through to make sure I truly want/need it or do I use it now and get it out of the way.  Some of the remnants are so precious to me that I am trying to use them now so they don't get lost, misplaced, or accidently tossed.  

Today, I made another SA Olive Spliced tee.  I really love how this pattern fits me.  

I am such a sucker for a woven tee.  This can be made from either a knit or a woven.  Patterns that do double duty have a special place in my heart!  

I just adore the navy viole print.  I made a skirt and top from it and when I've worn it, people have stopped me to ask about my outfit. That always makes a sewer happy!

This pattern fits me really well and I can totally see making more in the future, especially with long sleeves for fall.

I was also pleased I had enough to make a bias band for the neckline as I think it is the perfect finishing touch.  This navy print was originally purchased on a trip to see my daughter in Baton Rouge.  The store name is My Sewing Shoppe.

The tealish solid is from my stash.  While this isn't a remnant, the color is perfect.  I can see making a cute little kimono out of it for a light layer this summer.

Closer up of the neckband!

Thanks for reading!

Sue

Summer sewing--StyleArc Olive Spliced top

I think it's safe to say that I simply love sewing dresses.  However, you can only have so many summer dresses, especially when you only work part of the summer.  I am dedicating the next week or so to simply sewing tops.  I need them for casual wear and to wear with skirts or pants.  Today, I made this top by SA:



This is the Olive Spliced top.  You can make it in either a light woven or a knit.  I chose a white linen for my version. 

And, here it is!

I love this top!  It feels breezy and who doesn't love a crisp white top for summer?  

I love all the seaming on this.  When SA named this the 'spliced top' they were exactly right! 

Yep, the back mimics the front.  I chose to topstitch my seams, just because I really like to topstitch.

This is a great length, not too short and not too long.

Here you can see the neckband.  The directions call for the neckband being cut on the grain but looking at the neckline and how shaped it is, I knew it needed cut on the bias.  I wasn't wrong.

Thanks for reading and I hope you are getting some summer sewing done!

Sue

More from Simplicity 8375--ripe for hacking!

One of my goals is to purchase block (basic) that I can adapt or design to whatever I want.  How realistic is this?  Not very but a girl can dream, right?  Here's my base pattern that I am talking about using as a block: 

How sweet is this?  Plus I really like that it's a bit more boxy than my beloved McCall's 8668.  

I recently made two tops from this.  Both are entirely different and equally fun and so suitable for summer!  Here's top 1: 

I found the inspiration for this top as a RTW online.  I didn't exactly copy it, but the styling is there.  

I hope to be able to take some photos of me wearing this soon!  Both fabrics were from my stash.  Up until recently (couple of years), I shied away from wearing yellow.  With the absolute awful weather we had this past winter, anything bright and cheery is so welcomed!

You can probably tell what I did by looking, but with the lace, I simply overlaid it with the lace, cut, and then added the ruffle.  I did roll hem the ruffle since that is what the inspiration photo had.

For this one, I obviously made sleeveless and then chose the scooped back.  Across the back, you'll see what I did.

I love tunics like this for summer.  So cool and comfortable to wear.  This fabric came from JoAnns.  I love the mustard-y yellow with the white and black.  

I just put a single strip across the back.  The neckline wasn't drooping and the shoulders were staying put.  I just wanted a little something there.  

So there you have it.  Two yellow tops from the same pattern that look totally different! 

Thanks for reading!

Sue

Orageuse Helinski top

The winter doldrums have hit hard and the best solution for me is to start sewing for spring.  Someday, spring will arrive.  It has to, right?  

For this month's Fabric Mart post, I choose to use some Chambray.  I love working with Chambray.  It drapes so well and is such a workhorse of a fabric.  I've been eyeing some of the trendy tops and this one is the pattern I chose to use: 

Here's the link to the pattern company: Orageuse Helinski 

I love that deep V neck and that twist front.  How cute!!!  

Here's my version in the chambray:

Of course I modified this a bit in the sleeves.  I made three-quarter length but left the cuff on.  

My usual alterations include lengthening from the shoulder to the apex and the bust curve area.  I always then lengthen the back from the shoulder to waist to accommodate the front.

My top is longer than the models, not sure if she is a lot taller than me or not but I really like the length of this.  

Those little V's at the front and center back weren't difficult at all and give this a bit more interest that if they were just plain.  

I really love this new top!  It required a bit of hand sewing with the front bands but I enjoy hand sewing so not a big deal. 

Thanks for reading!

Sue 

Have you checked out this pattern company?  It's Papercut from New Zealand.  I discovered them last summer and have loved all their styles.  This one, however, fit the bill for winter and cold weather!  I had to create it and fast-like.

Here's the description from the pattern envelope: 

The perfect turtleneck pattern to help ease you through the cooler months. This pattern has two completely different variations, a chic fitted version, or a dropped shoulder loose fitting option. These are wardrobe staples!

Fabric:  Jersey/Knit Fabrics. 

Merino/Wool Jersey, Cotton Knit, Cotton/Lycra, Viscose/Lycra.

Model is 5’9” / 176cm 

and wears NZ 8/XS | UK 8 | EU 36 | US 4

And the line drawings!  Both images are from the website.  

Here's my version.  This is actually my second make from this pattern.  My first is a ecru colored cotton-lycra knit from Stof.  This is a textured knit in this gorgeous colored tealish that I purchased from Fabric Mart eons ago.  I am not sure what took me so long to use it.  I just love the color and the fabric.  

That neck!  I just love it!  This is nicely oversized but not too much.

I made my usual alterations to the pattern by lengthening from the shoulder to the bust and lengthening the bust curve.  To accommodate that difference in the back, I lengthened this by the same amount at the lower hemline. I also found that the shoulders are made for someone with less sloping shoulders than I have.  I took those in about 1/2 inch at the shoulder/arm intersection.  Other than that, this is as the pattern is drafted. 

Just for reference, I am 5'7" and you can see this fits in the length but I don't want to do any dancing with my arms over my head in this or the world will see more than I want them to of my midriff.  

I will be making this often.  I hope you won't get tired of seeing me in it!

Thanks for reading!

Sue