Sewing with fabric bought in Borneo got me thinking about other fabric souvenirs I have purchased in the past.  I especially like the handwoven cottons that I bought in Chiang Mai, and cherish the garments that I have sewn from them.  Suddenly I remembered that I had recently bought a few more Thai fabrics from Notionally Better – including a 1.8 metre length of handwoven striped cotton.  It didn’t take me long to pull it out of my stash.

As with my previous sewing project, I wanted a pattern that would allow me to really utilise the woven stripe. A pattern that immediately came to mine was the Style Arc Courtney – and it was one of the freebies for January! This pattern has been around for a while; I’m not sure why it hadn’t entered my collection earlier, especially considering that it can be sewn in wovens or knits or a combination.

From the pattern website: Along with the sleeve cuff, the design lines on this top give it a point of difference that is very on trend. The back yoke creates a flattering silhouette that is easy to wear. Combine woven with knit or two different textures or colours to give you your own individual style. FABRIC SUGGESTION & DESCRIPTION: Jersey Knit, slinky knit, linen, crepe, silk.

The stripes ran down the centre of the fabric, with fairly wide solid blue borders running along both selvages. I consulted with Clare and we decided on running the stripes horizontally along the back yoke and the centre front panels, and vertically elsewhere. I’d use the solid blue for the sleeve bands and neckline trim.

The neckband is cut on the bias, and is pretty much applied in the same way as you’d attach a neckband to a t-shirt. The bias has enough give, and handwoven cotton fabrics like this one press and shape beautifully with a bit of steam, so the neckband sits really well on this top. I also topstitched down the seam allowances for maximum neckband flatness and to add stability.

Those little gathers at the centre back yoke are really pretty and add some more ease for movement. Size-wise this is size 12 without alteration. I sewed it all on the machine then finished seam allowances together on the overlocker, pressed them to one side, then topstitched. Except for the side seams – they were finished separately and pressed open.

This top is another win for me, and the pattern will definitely be used again. Hooray!