I finally made a quick top last week. It sat in my closet all this past week and I finally wore it yesterday! It seems like every project I have been doing lately takes forever. I love to sew something that I can complete in an afternoon, like it, and wear it soon afterwards. It doesn't happen often, but when it does-Yahoo!
So a little info about the construction of this top: This top was easy to make. I did not follow directions because I almost never do! I did read several reviews about this pattern company before on PatternReview.com which I found extremely helpful. Most of the pattern reviews say that the patterns run big-yes this particular one did as well. I have made a top before a few years ago from this company- I like the edgey styles, but the construction of the pattern peices don't always go together very well. After I started this top, I remember that I had to do some major adjustments to a top I made a few years ago. It was made of a fabulous, expensive sweater fabric, however, it was not comfortable. I liked the idea- it needed a lot of tweaking. I don't have time to tweak.
I am a 2-4 in commercial sizes. Because I knew this top probably ran big, I took off an inch all the way around. I downloaded this top from Hot Pattern's website, and I didn't see the pattern piece for the neck. The directions had you cut two more pieces neccessary for the armbands. So, I made my own pieces for both the armband, and neck. I actually used the banded v-neck technique from the book
The Dressmaker's Handbook of Couture Sewing Techniques written by Lynda Maynard. It recommends that you use this technique on wovens, but I interfaced the silk jersey with a great stabilizer and it worked just fine.
Other changes I made to this top were-I eliminated the back seam and cut it on the fold. I don't see the need for a seam down the back anyways. I had a beautiful silk jersey that I purchased from Emmaonesock.com, and I didn't want to interrupt the design. I used my serger mostly for seaming, and then used my sewing machine to do the details on top. My Artista 180 is in the shop getting a new faceboard(ouch!), so I have been using my mechanical Bernina 55 that I got to teach sewing lessons to my little ones on. So far, I have liked how the machine has sewed. It has handled the jersey very well.
Overall, I like the style of this top, and I think it goes well with skinny jeans. I don't always like tight tops, and loose fitting tops during the summer feel better to me. I caution you to piece the pattern together first, and check to see if you have all the pattern peices, too, if you use a pattern from this company. I will probably make this top one more time because there is a style change idea I have-ruching.
Happy sewing,
Timi
I finally made a quick top last week. It sat in my closet all this past week and I finally wore it yesterday! It seems like every project I have been doing lately takes forever. I love to sew something that I can complete in an afternoon, like it, and wear it soon afterwards. It doesn't happen often, but when it does-Yahoo!
So a little info about the construction of this top: This top was easy to make. I did not follow directions because I almost never do! I did read several reviews about this pattern company before on PatternReview.com which I found extremely helpful. Most of the pattern reviews say that the patterns run big-yes this particular one did as well. I have made a top before a few years ago from this company- I like the edgey styles, but the construction of the pattern peices don't always go together very well. After I started this top, I remember that I had to do some major adjustments to a top I made a few years ago. It was made of a fabulous, expensive sweater fabric, however, it was not comfortable. I liked the idea- it needed a lot of tweaking. I don't have time to tweak.
I am a 2-4 in commercial sizes. Because I knew this top probably ran big, I took off an inch all the way around. I downloaded this top from Hot Pattern's website, and I didn't see the pattern piece for the neck. The directions had you cut two more pieces neccessary for the armbands. So, I made my own pieces for both the armband, and neck. I actually used the banded v-neck technique from the book The Dressmaker's Handbook of Couture Sewing Techniques written by Lynda Maynard. It recommends that you use this technique on wovens, but I interfaced the silk jersey with a great stabilizer and it worked just fine.
Other changes I made to this top were-I eliminated the back seam and cut it on the fold. I don't see the need for a seam down the back anyways. I had a beautiful silk jersey that I purchased from Emmaonesock.com, and I didn't want to interrupt the design. I used my serger mostly for seaming, and then used my sewing machine to do the details on top. My Artista 180 is in the shop getting a new faceboard(ouch!), so I have been using my mechanical Bernina 55 that I got to teach sewing lessons to my little ones on. So far, I have liked how the machine has sewed. It has handled the jersey very well.
Overall, I like the style of this top, and I think it goes well with skinny jeans. I don't always like tight tops, and loose fitting tops during the summer feel better to me. I caution you to piece the pattern together first, and check to see if you have all the pattern peices, too, if you use a pattern from this company. I will probably make this top one more time because there is a style change idea I have-ruching.
Happy sewing,
Timi
