When I need an ever quicker and simpler sewing fix than another Renfrew, I reach for the Tessuti Fave Top pattern.  One piece for the front, one piece for the back.  Use the overlocker to join the shoulder/arm seams, then the side seams.  Hem sleeves, neckline, bottom of top.  Done.

This one isn’t great. I learned a few things. Firstly – this is a pattern that is designed to be cut on the fold. I need to retrace this pattern so that I have one big flat piece for the front and another for the back to enable cutting it out flat. Then I can be much more precise with matching stripes along the seams. In this case one side matches, but the other one doesn’t. The fabric is a not terribly stretchy but quite thin and drapey something with a printed stripe that I got as part of a bargain haul thanks to Nikki. I decided to use double sided tape to stabilise and fuse the hems in place before twin needle stitching. I was out of my favourite fusible tape, which is this one:

so instead I used this tape from Spotlight:

While the Heat’n’Bond worked really well for stabilising the cotton/lycra knit that I made my granny square top from, it was too thick and heavy for this fabric, and the resulting hems are a bit ripply and feel stiff. I much prefer the Vliesofix tape and have since managed to restock, both via eBay and via the Freudenberg stand at the Melbourne Quilt and Craft Fair.

Because of this experience, I didn’t use any tape at all in making the next top, which was a little present for my cousin Freya. But here’s me modelling it.

This one is a much softer viscose jersey, with significant drape. I used my overlocker to hopefully stabilise all the hem edges before turning them and twin needling them in place. They could have really benefitted from that Vliesofix. There is always something more to learn when sewing! I’m actually planning on using this pattern to make a sequinned top – I saw some terrific multi-coloured sequinned knits at Darn Cheap Fabrics last time I called in. Freya thinks that I should use a plain fabric for the back and keep the sequins on the front only, but I’m not convinced.  This is a top that really needs skinny pants to balance it’s looseness – luckily I like wearing skinny pants!