"Our Fave Top" is now my fave top!

"Our Fave Top" is a free t-shirt pattern from my beloved Tessuti. There's not much too it - just two pattern pieces and about an hour of sewing. I love it!

I downloaded this pattern when I VERY first started sewing so it's been sitting there, along with this crinkly knit fabric from Spotlight, for about 18 months. Not sure why I didn't make it up sooner - but now that I have this toile done I already have another cut out and ready to go.

Before I cut out the pattern I added 1cm to each sleeve piece which I continued with under the arm and then tapered off around the bust. I knew I'd need this as the sleeves on the Mandy Boat Tee are too small without this adjustment so I figured it'd be the same situation with this top. The sleeves "just fit" now but would be more comfortable in a fabric that has four-way stretch, which this does not so it's a bit snug "around" the arm, but up and down it's fine. If you have chunky upper arms I suggest that this alteration is probably a necessity...

I love how simple it is to do the neck on this top (and the Mandy Boat Tee). Just turn each piece under, stitch it down and then sew the back to the front. I overlock the neck hem and then turn it under and stick it down using wondertape...it's cheating, but it's SO easy! Things are then neatened up with a little dart along the side of the neck to hide where the front and back join. The sleeves have a cuff as I can't help myself and the hem is finished with the rolled hem function on my overlocker - which was PERFECT for this crinkly fabric.

Pattern: "Our Fave Top" by Tessuti
Size: One size fits...most
Modifications: added 1cm to each sleeve piece which continued under the arm and tapered off to zero at the bust
Fabric: mystery crinkly knit from Spotlight
Changes for next time: none as long as my fabric has four way stretch to make the arms a bit more comfortable

Me-made May - the half way point

We're halfway through me-May Made and so far so good. My pledge is pretty lame (just one me-made item per week) and I've already exceeded that well and truly. Before I started the month I thought it would be a struggle to wear my hand-sewn items...as I feel that they look crafty and home-made, but a few unsolicited compliments on a few items has boosted my confidence.

So far this is what I've worn:

Week 1:

Knit Gabby Dress worn on my day off work. Partook in a spot of shopping and brunch at a new local cafe. Pretty comfy dress, but I don't particular like the "feel" of this fabric, bit stiff and feels cheap and the hem is not very well sewn (needs to have been a bigger hem). I feel like EVERYONE knew I was wearing a homemade craft project...in public!

Mandy Boat Tee worn to a sewing class at Tessuti 'cos I"m a suck up....LOL. I had to resew all the seams before I could wear this as it was falling apart due to being sewn on 3 spool overlocker....result it's a bit dodgy but I still love this top as the fabric is great.

My first ever Mabel skirt worn to work. I'm not a fan of stockings with skirts as too many layers on my tummy makes my gut hurt BUT this was comfy and my colleague told me she likes me skirt. She is now my favouirte colleague (yes, I'm shallow).

Sick day = Linden Sweatshirt and naps on the couch.

Mandy Boat Tee worn to work with Ponti leggings (from Sussan). I LOVE this top but I wish I'd made it a bit longer as it's too short to be worn with such fitted pants. Still not sure if I should've added elastic to the shoulder seam or not? Fabric is from Tessuti.

Another Mabel skirt worn to work - loving this silhouette as a work outfit and it's pretty comfy but looks put together. The skirt was made during May so hasn't been blogged yet (Tessuti fabric yet again).

Saturday brunch in Surry Hills with my niece followed by a spot of fabric shopping in my new, but already beloved Mandy Boat Tee. I like this top much better with my jeans - not so many butt exposure issues as the jeans are looser than the Ponti Pants.

Week 2

A wearable muslin of Tessuit's "Our favouirte top" worn out to lunch with friends on Sunday. Not blogged yet, but a fairly successful make I think though the fabric is not very breathable so it's a tad hot.

My ponti Casual Lady Dress worn to work...pretty comfortable and the short sleeves means I don't melt now that the "heater wars" at work have started. Still desperate to find more ponti to make another of these as I REALLY like it even though the wonky neck and sleeve bands make it feel a bit....crafty.

One of my two remaining Coco dresses that I made last year. I've put on weight since last year so this one just fits (as I can stretch the fabric) whilst the other one is rather....snug! Not that comfortable at first as the ribbon stabilizing the seam bugs me but as the day worn on I forgot about it.

Thoughts: I found week one much easier than week two for some reason. I think seeing everyone's me-made May efforts as the month got going made me feel like a bit of a sewing underachiever. That said I've pumped out quite a few good garments so far this May so I'm happy that the challenged has motivated me to sew. Having put on a it of weight since this time last year is also generally making getting dressed each day a bit of a challenge. Lite n Easy starts next week! Blergh.

Mandy Boat Tee...as a jumper

A few weeks ago I toddled off to Tessuti in Chatswood for a class on sewing zips and facings. Great class BUT it was held upstairs and upstairs is home to all of their lovely knits. I kind of lost the plot when it came to installing the facings and ending patting all the gorgeous fabrics for quite some time. In the end I settled on this...a lovely, cozy Viscose Jersey that would be perfect for a top. A Mandy Boat Tee to be precise.

This is a very simple top to make but I umm'd and ahh'd for ages over whether or not to use clear elastic to stabilize the shoulder seams. The pattern doesn't call for it, but I thought as the fabric was quite heavy it might need it. Good idea, if only I had executed it properly...now I have some annoying elastic rubbing on my skin. Grr!

I lengthened the hem on this top as it's quite short on me otherwise - 6cm added. I think I could add an extra 1cm or 2cm though as my bum was quite "on show" when I wore this top to work with black ponti pants that were quite fitting. Not such a problem with jeans which are a bit looser...but I think the people are work sore my of my butt than they needed or wanted too. Whoops.

I finished the sleeve on this with a sleeve band as I think they look much neater than turning the sleeve under...which I always do totally wonky as I cannot seem to sew in a straight line. The wrong side of the fabric is also pretty cool and adds a neat little bit of contrast.

Pattern: Mandy Boat Tee by Tessuti
Size: One size fits...most
Modifications: lengthened by 6cm, clear elastic added at the shoulders, and the sleeves/arms made bigger for me a sewing class I did at Tessuti last year.
Fabric: Viscose knit from Tessuti
Changes for next time: might add a few cms to the hem; and possibly not add clear elastic at the shoulders depending on the fabric.