Another Style Arc Sunny top – I think that this is my third.

I don’t think that I got the most “flattering” lot of photos of this one! Anyway, it’s another remnant top. The chain jacquard knit used for the front and upper back was in the remnant bin at Darn Cheap Fabrics, and the navy is a soft double-knit that was in stash – it’s the same knit I used for the sleeves of Clare’s Groove top in the last blog post.

The secret of success with this pattern is that you MUST use fabric with loads of stretch for the sleeves. They are very narrow, to balance out the cocoon shape of the body of the top, and if the fabric isn’t stretchy enough they will not be at all comfortable. Fortunately this double knit worked out fine – maybe it’s more of a rib? – but many wouldn’t.

From the Style Arc website: SUNNY KNIT TOP: 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!! FABRIC SUGGESTION: Slinky knit, any drapery knit.

My previous versions were both sewn in very stretchy and drapey fabric, and I really do recommend it.  I wear both heaps.  A viscose knit would be perfect as well.  I have already been getting quite a lot of wear out of this new version too.  It definitely won’t be the last time I sew this pattern.

It all started when I came across this image on Instagram.

All of a sudden I wanted a suede vest. I NEEDED a suede vest. And no, I wasn’t going to just click through and buy it – I was going to make my own! I scoured my stash for pattern possibilities, and came up with Butterick 5528.

This pattern is out of print now, but still available on their website and probably elsewhere if you look around a little.  The line drawing is as follows:

I’ve sewn view A in the past, unsuccessfully.  However that was due to a bad fabric/pattern match.  It’s long since left my wardrobe.  I thought that view C might work nicely for the vest.  The pattern description from the Butterick website is as follows: Close-fitting, straight cardigans A, B have short kimono sleeves with sleeve band, collar, hook and eye closure with decorative buttons and stitched hems. A: Hip-length. B: Pockets, tunic-length. Very loose-fitting, slightly flared cardigans C, D have raglan sleeves in two lengths, shawl collar and shaped stitched hems, wrong side of fabric will show. C: Sleeveless. D: Long sleeve. Close-fitting, straight tunic E has cap sleeves, stitched hem and neck ring.

There was no way that I was going to make a first version of this vest in real sueded! I found this perforated suede-look knit at Darn Cheap Fabrics. It is super soft, a little stretchy, and sticks to itself a little.

I think that I sewed the Medium, which translates to 12-14. It really does not work styled over this dress, as in the above two photos. It looks much better over a straighter silhouette, such as this one:

In that photo it’s over a wool/acrylic blend knit Sewaholic Renfrew tee and printed double-knit Style Arc Fay skirt that were both sewn at Sewjourn in May and I don’t think have made it to the blog. A much better combination. However, Ada has a much firmer figure than I do, and I think it’s good to see garments as they are on the real body.

I did all the sewing on the machine. Because of the fabric’s tendency to stick to itself, some of it was pretty fiddly. I finished hems with a simple zig-zag stitch, although I used a straight stitch around the armholes. Getting the collar to drape nicely isn’t easy in this fabric due to the stick to itself tendency.

I do think it’s quite a wearable muslin – although I haven’t worn it yet! I think that once the weather warms up a little it is likely to get more outings. I wore the collar folded back flat when I tried it on myself, rather than draping like it is on Ada. I suppose that it can be worn either way.

I have a few other vest patterns in stash – or jacket patterns that could easily have their sleeves left off to become a vest – but rather like the style lines of this one. I think that there will eventually be a trip to somewhere like NSW Leather in Collingwood to source some suede – but maybe not until next winter.

This is another repeat – you can see the first Mason jacket I sewed (not in a knit though) here. This time I did as I was told and used the fabric type that the garment was designed for.

From the Style Arc website: MASON KNIT JACKET: This knee length Ponte knit jacket is given a fresh look with an interesting shawl collar, and large patch pockets , braid or bind the edges or just leave them raw. A truly staple piece for your wardrobe.

Well, I sort of followed the fabric suggestions, in that I did use a knit.  But it’s not a ponte. It’s a much thicker wool knit with a fluffy jacquard design somehow woven into it.  I bought it from The Cloth Shop on sale at the end of last winter, and stroked it wondering what it would become for some time.

It took me a while and a little help from instagram to figure out what side I would use as the right side and what side as the wrong. In the end I decided that fluffy needed to be on the outside, with the smoother “painted” look on the inside. Easier to get on an off over other clothes, I figured.

I left off the pockets, and sewed this up on the overlocker. It was super fast to assemble. My next dilemma was how to finish the edges. I’d cut the selvages off the fabric before cutting out the garment pieces, and decided to apply them to the cuff and front/collar edges. I had barely enough to work with, but the end result is still okay. If I had my time again I would have done the front edges and collar before doing the sleeve edges, which would have made it easier to lay out the pieces of selvage nicely. But I didn’t. That’s the way it goes. I just overlaid the selvedge strips and zig-zagged them in place.

When working with thicker fabrics like this one it’s important to consider the seam finish of any seams that might show. I sewed the centre back neck/collar seam on the machine so that any parts that did show would be neat and sit flat.

This is an incredibly warm garment to wear, and is comfortable as well because of the fabric type. In my view, it’s a definite success.

I am still sharing garments that I sewed while at Sewjourn in May.  That would be okay if I hadn’t still been sewing more garments since then….anyway, this top is the Style Arc Issy Knit Top.

From the Style Arc website: ISSY KNIT TOP: This knit top can be made long-sleeved or sleeveless. The clever neck drape gives this top a distinctive look, while the angled rouching at the side seam is flattering across the front. This fabulous design can be worn casually or dressed up. FABRIC SUGGESTION: Baby wool or any soft knit with a good stretch component.

I’ve seen some fabulous versions of this top – including some lengthened to a dress. And Style Arc are right – it is a clever neck drape. This top was surprisingly straight forward to construct. There are minimal pattern pieces – front, back, sleeves – and they all fold and fit exactly as they should. It was very quick to sew.

The fabric is a lovely warm wool knit from Clear It – I think that a number of fellow Melbournians have it in their stash. It was beautiful to sew and is lovely to wear. I sewed size 12, my usual Style Arc top/dress size. However, I’m not thrilled with the way that this fits me.

Other than the wrinkles at the mid to lower back – and I know that we’ve all seen those before – I think it doesn’t sit as well around the neckline and shoulders on me as it does on many other people. I think that I’d need to make more alterations to fit this pattern better to my shape. Of course, it “fits” me in that I can get it on me and wear it without any issues, but overall it’s not great – the shoulder width especially.

I am also super conscious of my gut in this top. The side ruching, and the angled hemline, should theoretically “flatter” my shape, but all that I see when I look at these photos is my midsection. Which is a shame, because I do like the colour on me, and the fabric and style lines are great. Just not on me.

As it turns out, my friend Rachel tried this top on when we were on Sewjourn – and it looks FANTASTIC on her. So today I’ll be putting it in the post and sending it to her. We often wear the same size, but she’s taller, has broader shoulders, and none of my midsection bulges. So my Issy top will still get a lot of love.

Continuing with what appears to be a theme for me this winter – overlayers without sleeves – I recently purchased and sewed The Hot Patterns Fast and Fabulous Jetsetter Poncho.

The description from their website:  A cozy top layer for those chilly days, this super-glam poncho is perfect for medium to heavy-weight fabrics with a little drape,like ponte or double knits, boucle, sweater knits, sweat-shirting or even fleece.

Oversized, relaxed fit, pull-over poncho has a paneled front & back, shaped armholes with facing and a cowl neck.

Make this simply gorgeous style in your favorite cool-weather colors and wear it over slim tailored pants or distressed jeans…this one bridges the gap between too-cool-for-a-sweater, not-cold-enough-for-a-coat weather.

Your funky poncho goes dog walking in the park, snuggles you whilst watching the ball-game and adds that essential cozy layer when you’re jetting off somewhere fabulous.

I took a bit of a punt with the fabric that I used, a very soft wool/acrylic blend knit from Super Cheap Fabrics, and it has definitely affected the success of this project. It’s a little too thin, stretchy and drapey for this poncho. See that bit in the description about perfect for medium to heavy-weight fabrics? That’s not what I used.

I did rather like the pattern. The shaping is nice, as are the arm opening facings. It’s not a restrictive garment. But I really do need to sew it again in a more suitable fabric. I’ve still been wearing it, but it’s not as it should be. Which is all due to my fabric choice. It’s a lovely fabric, and I’ve used it successfully for other garment styles.  Lesson will be learned one day!

I think that Vogue 9057 is the gift that keeps on giving.  I’ve sewn view D/E a couple of times already.  Time to give views B and C a go!

View B is a long sleeved top with a diagonal hemline and split at one side. View C is a sleeveless top with a diagonal hemline going the other way. The two are designed to be worn separately or layered one over the other.

I used a cotton/spandex from stash to sew the view B top (it could have contained some viscose as well). I sewed size Medium (12-14) after shortening the pattern through the body with a petite adjustment. Once again I’m very happy with the fit from the front – the back, not so much. I really need to start tinkering more with my patterns in this regard since I now own about six books on fitting and really have no excuse for not making more effort.

I would still be quite happy to wear this top alone. As expected, construction was primarily on the overlocker, with the machine used for hemming. I think I used a zig-zag stitch to secure everything in place.

You don’t get a photo of the sleeveless view C top on its own because it is actually a fairly sheer mesh! It layers very nicely over the long sleeved tee.

Both the neck and the armholes are finished with bands that I attached with the overlocker. Other seams were overlocked as well. I left the bottom hem edge raw.

I often wonder what to do with sheer stretch mesh fabrics – there are quite a few around. I think that layering works quite nicely for these. I have a few in stash, despite never being sure of their end purpose, and think that I could do with mixing them in more with other garments.

As with the long sleeved tee, I shortened the mesh top through the body. I think that I’ll also try layering it over tees in other colours – maybe even over short sleeved tees or tanks. Won’t hurt to experiment a little! I particularly like the way that the back neckline of these tees sits flat against my body, despite the curvature of my upper back that is rapidly threatening to one day become a “dowager’s hump”.

As a reminder, here are the line drawings for this pattern:

Ah, so many tops that could potentially be sewn, but so little time in which to do it!