After showing you my Pattern Emporium Exhale dress, I thought I’d better show you my Exhale tee!

This time I sewed size 12, and I think that the fit is perfect.

This time around I sewed the hilo top option, with short sleeves and rounded high neck.  I’d been fortunate enough to try on a friend’s version at Sewjourn, and I loved the fit, so I basically just copied her!  The fabric was a gift from the same friend.  It’s a soft, stretchy knit with a matt finish.  I do like large scale floral prints!

All the pattern details are in my previous blog post. This fabric was pretty delicate to sew. I used 10mm wide double sided fusible tape to secure the sleeve and bottom hems, as I knew that this would stretch out without it, then a zig zag stitch to secure. I also used a zig zag to secure the neckband seam allowances.  Sometimes I find that a twin needle just tunnels the fabric or stretches it out too much, and a zig zag gives a much nicer finish.  Construction was all on the overlocker.

As you would expect, this is very fast to sew. The hilo top has two options for how ‘hi’ the front curve is – I chose the lower of the two options. Although I like a high low hemline, I didn’t want it to be too extreme – and I didn’t want belly exposure. This ticks all my boxes.

I really do like all the options included in this pattern. There’s something for every climate and almost every occasion depending on fabric choice. I definitely think it’s best in a drapier fabric than something more structured. Definitely a well named pattern!