Category: Top

White Cheyenne Tunic

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I made view B of the Cheyenne tunic by Hey June Patterns. I made a size S bust and graded out to a size M at the hips. I shortened the arms by 2 inches and I shortened the torso by 1 inch (I’m 5′ 1 1/2″). It seems like I probably could have shortened this another inch or two but I’m not sure how long tunics are supposed to be?

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I got this white cotton voile fabric from Imagine Gnats. This is pretty much an exact copy of a version by Fleurine from the Sew MarieFleur blog that I saw a while ago and had been stuck in my head ever since. I love that you can see through it but that also makes it a lot harder to wear.

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I love the beach-y vibes that this shirt gives off though I’m not sure how much I’ll be drawn to this top in the Wisconsin winter or fall. However, I definitely want to make a button up shirt version to wear this fall.

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I also love the tabs to keep your sleeves rolled up. Generally you don’t really need them but I think it is a nice detail on this shirt. Also this is my second time making a button placket and it went much better than my first time on my archer popover. This may be my new go-to pattern for when I want to make a popover.

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White Linen Kalle Shirt

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This is the shirt version of the Kalle Shirt. This is my second version of this pattern but last time I made the dress version. I love my dress so I figured it was about time I tried one of the other versions. Since I don’t think I’d get a lot of wear out of the cropped version so I ended up adding some length.

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It is still cropped and you can still see some skin when I’m wearing this top with my low rise ginger jeans. I think this top would also pair well with some mid or high rise ginger jeans for fall. I’m hoping to make another pair of jeans this summer that are a little higher waisted. I’m also planning on pairing it with high waisted skirts or shorts this summer.

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I used the Robert Kaufman Linen Rayon blend. I really liked working with and wearing this fabric. Also – I love this wide hem facing!

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I left the back hem longer so from the back this looks like a normal length shirt. I also really love the box pleat at the back. Overall I love this shirt but I don’t think I need more than one of these. I may need some more of the dress version though!

A Couple of Spring Larks

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Its pretty tricky to find fun apparel knit fabrics that actually look like something you would see in a ready to wear garment so when I found these two fabrics from Fashion Fabrics club I knew I wanted to give them a try. I used the Grainline Studio Lark tee pattern. At this point I’ve used this pattern for 5 other makes: my Lark PJs/Hudson Pants combo, my speckle cap sleeved lark, a gray bamboo knit short sleeved lark and a long sleeved stripe Lark as well as a wrap cardigan.

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Both of the fabrics definitely feel like something that you would find in a ready to wear garment. They are a bit thin and I’m not really sure how they will hold up over time. The real test will be how the fabric holds up after multiple wears/washes. Because this fabric is drapier than other fabrics I’ve used in the past it does seem to fit better in the shoulders though.

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The first version is a v-neck out of this really wide striped %100 rayon jersey. The bottom stripe is dark navy which sort of gets lost when I’m wearing dark jeans. However – since I’m pear shaped I think having the dark navy at the bottom was the correct choice since there isn’t a bright giant stripe at the widest part of my body.

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My next version was a fun bright “paprika” striped knit which is 97% Rayon and 3% Lycra. I love that the stripes are uneven and that some of them are not solid lines. I would say that the fabric is a bit brighter than my usual go-to fabrics but after a dreary and cold Wisconsin winter I am searching for some additional color in my life! I made the scoop neck version for this one with the cap sleeves.

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Both of these shirts are so easy to wear – I can see myself wearing them a ton this spring! I typically don’t go for “cheap” fabrics (I got both of these on sale for $4/yard) but I couldn’t resist the fun stripes! Hopefully they will hold up over time…

Double Gauze Scout Tee

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I made the Grainline Studio Scout tee in a double gauze fabric from Imagine Gnats. I graded from a size 4 at the bust to a size 6 at the waist and a size 8 at the hips. I must have also shortened it but I can’t remember by how much.

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This was a pretty quick make. I finished all of the seams with french seams. I made bias tape from the same fabric for the neckline. Over all even though it is a fairly simple top I’m super happy with how it came out in part due to the clean finishes on the inside.

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This is meant to be a boxy shirt so I think next time I’ll use a fabric with more drape for a softer look.

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I also took this shirt on my trip over a year ago to Vietnam and Thailand. The Scout Tee is a great pattern for situations where you may need to have your shoulders covered (so many temples). I had never used double gauze before and I was hoping that this would be a super breathable top for the hot weather there. In some ways this was a great fabric because it hangs away from your body and is lightweight. However, I think the dark color was not a great choice and it does get quite wrinkly after being shoved in your backpack. If I was packing again I probably would leave this one at home.

Scout Tee With Elephants

I wore this to an elephant sanctuary in Thailand – one of my favorite things from my trip!

 

Scrappy Ogdens

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The Ogden Cami by True Bias has been incredibly popular and it is easy to see why. It is a super flattering top that is pretty fast to sew up and it doesn’t use up a lot of fabric. I made my black and white diamond version out of leftover fabric from my hudson pants. Basically now if there is any project that I’ve completed with a woven pattern I’m always looking to see if I can get a Ogden Cami out of the leftover fabric. For each of these versions I’ve been able to barely cut the cami out of fabric but I don’t have enough for the partial lining. I just bought 1/4 yard of lining fabric for each version and (although sometimes its a smidge short) I’m able to fit the lining pieces on to that. The only change I made from my last version was I shortened the straps by about an inch and a half.

This version is made with leftover Liberty of London fabric that I used to make my Deer and Doe Datura blouse. The liberty fabric is quite busy so it is perfect for a tank top and I love wearing this version with a cardigan over it to break up the busy print even more.

Then I made a version out of leftover fabric from my chambray alder shirtdress. This version is such a good basic – easy to throw on with jeans and I think it will be really cute with shorts in the summer too.

For my final version (for now), I made a version out of leftover fabric from my Suki Kimono. I really loved this fabric! I know wearing a robe over jeans and a tee is pretty popular right now but I don’t think I’ll be wearing my version of the Suki that way. I’m so happy that I had just enough fabric to cut out this cami so I can wear this fabric outside of lounging around my apartment.

I’ll probably make 20 more of these in Summer. I love that this is like the “buy one get one free” feeling of getting a great deal when you are shopping but with home sewing! It feels super satisfying and like I’m getting free camis with each project!

Penny Raglan

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I made the Grainline Studio Penny Raglan out of leftover fabric from my lark tee. I love this bamboo knit and the Penny Raglan is the ultimate comfy tee shirt.

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I made a size 2 at the bust and graded out to a size 8 at the hips (totally unnecessary) and I also shortened it by 1″. If I make this again I think I’d make a straight size 0.

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This is one of the items I brought with me a year ago (yes I’m super behind on blogging) when I took a month long trip to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. It was so perfect in the hot weather especially for visiting temples in Angkor Wat where you need to have your shoulders covered. I wore this with my True Bias Hudson Pants for the ultimate temple exploring outfit.

Black Waterfall Raglan

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You may have noticed this shirt from my post earlier this week on the Avery Leggings. This is the Chalk and Notch Waterfall Raglan made out of a rayon/lycra jersey from the imagine gnats shop.

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I loved making this shirt – it comes together pretty quickly. It is super comfortable and boxy with an added girly ruffle, which I love. It is super easy to wear and great for wearing over leggings since it is a bit longer.

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For my version I did not shorten the pattern even though that is something that I would typically do – I wanted it to be a bit longer. I love the way it came out!

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