The one item my wardrobe lacks, are groovy tops. I like nice blouses, but I really enjoy fun tops. Most of my tops are RTW and do not fit properly. They are either too long, too short or in need of a FBA. So, I decided it’s time to start making my own tops.
But before I tell you about M6963, I would like to mention I has an awesome time at the American Sewing Expo in Novi, Michigan. I didn’t take a lot of pictures. However, I was fascinated with the quilts from the Symbols of Africa Exhibit.
This was my first time attending and I have to say it was more than I expected. The market place was little overwhelming. There was a lot to see and purchase. But to my surprise, I didn’t purchase much. I treated myself to a pair of Kai 11inch shears. OMG, I absolutely love these shears. Now I am a Gingher diehard, but I couldn’t resist these Kai shears. I purchased a couple pieces of fabric. This was a little surprising to me, I thought I would have purchased more.
The classes I selected centered around knits. I plan to add more knits to my wardrobe, so I wanted to learn more on sewing with knits. I took a beginners class on draping. This class was interesting and inspiring, but I’m not ready to tackle draping just yet. The class that I enjoyed the most was “Body Shaping Your Dress Form”. I am overdue for a new dressform, but have been putting it off until I lose some weight. But , I learned how to select the size based on project weight loss and how to pad up to my current size. So now I trying to decide whether to invest in a full body dress form. Its recommended if you make pants for yourself. I’m in no hurry, so I will continue to gather more information.
Now let’s talk about M6963. I absolutely love V-neck type tops!!! Next in line are drape neck tops. I was drawn to this pattern because of the drape neck and its from Palmer/Pletsch. I knew immediately the pattern instructions would be fill with fitting techniques and tips.
The top is made from bamboo jersey I had in my stash from Moods Fabric. I just love the feel of bamboo jersey. I had to make a few adjustments. The top is quite long, so I ended up removing 4 inches in the length. In the past, I have used a FBA technique designed for knits. Its basically adding the inches you need across the top. This time I decided to use the technique in the pattern. I have to say I like it much better. It’s more precise. The last adjustment I made was a slight round back adjustment.
The construction was simple and it went together in about 2hrs. Overall, I am pleased with my top and will make it again. The only items I will change are to shorten the drape and stabilize the side seams.
Next in the queue is a dress for the Holidays. I fell in love with this metallic wrap dress from Talbots. It’s simple yet elegant. However, I would select different shows. 🙂 I found a silver metallic rayon jersey from emmaonesock. I decided to use
The Appleton Dress Pattern by Cashmertte.
On the knitting front, I decided to knit a couple of Christmas gifts. This is definitely new territory for me. The trick will be not keeping the items from myself. First up, is a hat I’m knitting for a close relative. It’s almost done, so I will give details when complete.
Until Next Time Keep Sewing!!!
