I’ve been on a brown sewing binge.  A couple of weeks ago I pulled all the brown garments from the cut-out-ready-to-sew tub, and lined them up on the cutting table.   I threaded up the overlocker and the sewing machine in dark brown thread, and began.  While I recovered from my URTI, I sewed up brown things.  All of the brown things!  One of them was in my last blog post (the Sunny knit top) and here is another.  Be warned though, there are plenty more!

The Style Arc Dotty blouse has been waiting to be sewn up for a little while. There are lots of blouses like this one around in the shops and I notice that McCalls has just released a similar pattern. I really like the way that the front turns up and the high-low hemline. Style Arc say:  This is a clever pattern that creates the beautiful draping at the front while leaving the back as a regular shirt.  Wear it with a camisole or use a press stud to close the x over at the front. You will love this top!  And the pattern illustration:

I think that Style Arc have done a beautiful job with this pattern.  There are some details that I think set it apart form the McCalls version – the double layered back yoke with central gathers; the tucks at the neckline on the front, and the sleeves gathered into cuffs.  And best of all, the v-neckline sits in place quite safely on me without a press-stud to secure it (although I will still wear a camisole underneath for extra security – I don’t really want to flash my bra to the world).

I sewed a straight size 12 without any modifications, and don’t actually think that it really needs any other maybe shortening the sleeves half an inch or so. The self-facings along the front are just the right width to sit nicely, and all of the drafting is spot-on. The instructions are a bit lacking in some places, particularly where they omit to tell you to finish the back neckline. I bagged out the back yoke and back piece using the “burrito” technique. You need to make sure that back neckline is finished before attaching the front at the shoulders.

The back hemline is curved, and I did a simple narrow hem after finishing it with the overlocker. Actually, I did that before sewing the side seams. The front is automatically “hemmed” because it is one long pattern piece that is folded in half, and the fold is at the hemline. You have to be careful when sewing to ensure that you sew the tucks on the correct sides and fold the facings the correct way so that once the front shoulders are aligned everything is on the correct side.

Half of the front pattern piece shows the “wrong” side of the fabric in this style, so it must be made in a fabric that looks the same from both sides. I found this semi-sheer printed woven in deep stash. I think that it came from Spotlight many, many years ago. It also has a slight glisten to it, with a metallic thread woven through at intervals. I have always had trouble working out which is the right and wrong side, so thought that it would work beautifully in this style.

Anne has also made this blouse, and it’s interesting to see it on our different body shapes. She wasn’t enamoured with it on her, although I think it looks rather pretty. However, I do think that it’s great worn loose on an “apple” like mine if you’re not interested in waist definition. This would be beautiful made in a silk, I think. Maybe a sleeveless version for summer?

Another repeat!  This time it is the Style Arc Sunny top.  As described by Style Arc:  This is a new shape for a knit top.  The oversized look becomes very flattering because of pattern drafting and the cocoon shape which is the new on trend look.  Try it, you will love it!!

Last time I made this I used a placement print.  I feel great every time I wear it, so making the pattern up a second time was only logical.  The wide mid-section of the pattern matches mine, so there are no fitting issues!

This is a garment that looks better in real life than in photos, because the shape is unusual. The body is very loose throughout the centre, but it does come in close at the hips, and the sleeves are also tight. This balances out the volume elsewhere. You get a better idea of the shape in this photo:

The fabric is a stretchy knit from Darn Cheap Fabrics – it wasn’t on the $2 table but I think it was in a $4 bin! It’s rather shiny and sparkly in the light. I really bought it as a bit of an experiment and was quite ambivalent about it but have since discovered that it is rather lovely to wear and fairly straightforward to sew. The leftovers will be turning into a Myrtle dress at some stage.

I think that I said last time that you really do need a fabric that is quite stretchy and possibly slinky/drapey to make this top successfully. I don’t think that it would work well in a cotton/lycra, for example. A rayon knit would be fine – so would a silk! And I wonder if you could make it from a woven if you still used a knit for the arms and ensured that the neck opening was wide enough to get it over your head easily. Hmmmm.

You know, this pattern might even get a third outing. Great for the “apple” shape such as myself!  The pants are Style Arc Elle pants in a stretch woven, by the way.