The Style Arc Ricki top I blogged a couple of posts back was actually a wearable muslin for this one.

Same size, same slightly too long sleeves, different fabric. This time I used some printed scuba from Spotlight. And had enough to make a skirt to go with it!

The skirt is the Itch to Stitch Petal skirt – I’ve made it before here.  This time I remembered my own advice and cut a waistband piece to encase the waist elastic then attach to the top of the skirt.

Scuba fabric is quite substantial but is also rather slippery and not all that heavy. I don’t have the same issue with the top pulling backwards in this fabric. It was very easy to sew – mostly on the overlocker – and simple to hem with the twin needle. I did pay attention to the pattern piece placement when I was cutting out in order to have the colours of the print where I found them most pleasing.

As it turns out I tend to wear these pieces separately more often than I wear them together. The skirt is great with my chocolate brown long sleeved tee and Harper jacket. And the top layers easily over a long sleeved tee when the weather is cold and works well with Misty jeans.  Scuba is definitely not a summer fabric, but it works beautifully in winter (all that double knit polyester)!

This time I got the combination of fabric and pattern just right.

Another wearable muslin for you – but not to be worn by me!  This has already been passed on to my friend Kathryn – and it looks great on her! But you’ll have to make do with photos of it on me.

Kathryn wondered aloud “how would the Skye top work in pleather?” And that was all that it took for me to pull some pleather out of stash and get sewing. I knew when I started that this would definitely not be a great colour on me. But the pleather was only $2 per metre (yes, from Darn Cheap Fabrics) and I’d bought it to play with anyway! I cut the front and back pieces from pleather, and the neckline and hem facing pieces from blue viscose. I omitted interfacing completely, as I didn’t want it show through the perforations in the pleather.

As you can see there is no way to hide with pleather and this top could definitely have done with a short back waist alteration. There is a centre back seam that makes it easy to do, so I’ll remember that for the future. Those folds at the back waistline make me cringe!

I chose to do all the stitching with a zig zag in blue, to bring a little more colour into the top and tie it in to the facings. I like the curve of the front and back hems. The pleather was challenging to press and surprisingly it creases quite a lot, but with an organza press cloth I was able to tame it into submission. The bust darts are too high on me – I need to remember to drop them next time I use the pattern. I sewed size 12 again (forgetting that winter coat; I really need to size up when I sew during winter).

The back button is also blue. As it turns out I can easily get this on and off without undoing the button. I sewed a simple fabric tube from the viscose for the button loop.

The illustration and description from the Style Arc website is as follows:

SKYE TOP: This wonderful top has been designed to skim the body, the extended shoulder line and rounded hemline makes it a perfect top to wear with your jeans and skirts, it will be the go to top in your wardrobe

FABRIC SUGGESTION: Scuba, Ponte, Stable Knit, Silk or Linen

It’s rather fun to try things in an alternative fabric and just see what happens, especially when the fabric has been inexpensive.  And now I know what fitting changes to make the next time I sew this!

First things first.  This was intended as a wearable muslin.  I’m never going to wear it, and it’s going into the op shop bag.  But that doesn’t mean it was a failure.

This is the Style Arc Melinda knit tunic. The line drawing and description from their website is as follows:

MELINDA KNIT TUNIC: The boat neck on this style gives this tunic length top a sophisticated look. The band treatment at the neck is both interesting and clever. The sliced bodice allows you to create your own version by mixing colours or textures. This tunic will become one of your favourite go to garments.

FABRIC SUGGESTION & DESCRIPTION: Jersey knit, slinky

I used a linen knit from Darn Cheap Fabrics as my muslin, and it wasn’t a good choice. This would have been better in a fabric with more structure and stretch – such as the jersey knit and slinky suggested! I made straight size 12.

The fit overall is not too bad – although I have gained quite a winter coat this year, even since these photos were taken, and by now it would probably even be a bit too tight around my middle. I really liked the way that the boat neckline was constructed. It was quite unusual, with folded bands attached to the upper front and back. The bands are straight but the neckline on the upper front dips which makes the bands dip with it. However, the dip wasn’t enough for me and I felt strangled. If I make this again I’ll need to remember to scoop out the front neckline more before attaching the bands. I’d also sew the two bands further in at the shoulders to narrow the boat neckline a little. It felt much too wide on me and exposed my bra straps. That said, my shoulders are more narrow and sloped than broad and substantial.

So for me this was a classic example of a bad fabric and pattern match. I do like the lines of the pattern, with the above modifications. I’ve seen some rather lovely versions of it on the internet, so don’t let my review put you off entirely. Just consider the neckline depth and width before you sew – and don’t sew it in a linen knit.