This is the second time that I’ve sewn the Style Arc Besharl tee – you can see the first one here.

When I cut out the Vogue 9057 top from a couple of blog posts ago there was enough left over for the front of something else. I pulled out the Besharl tee pattern, ferreted through the stash to find some matching rayon/spandex knit for the back, and went to it!

The pattern has a strip inserted into the centre back, which was perfect for the textured knit that I used on the front. I used the reverse side to the Vogue top as the right side for this, and used the rayon/spandex knit for the neckband.

I like the angled side seams. Considering that this tee just has a few pattern pieces – front, back, back insert, neckband – it still has some interesting style lines. The rayon/spandex is fairly lightweight and clings a little more than I’d like, but it feels lovely against the skin.

From the Style Arc website: This is a great basic “Tee” with a difference. The extended shoulder line creates the appearance of a short sleeve and the interesting angled front seam replaces the side seam. For the back panel why not use a contrast fabric or lace? FABRIC SUGGESTION Jersey or any knit tee shirt fabric.

As you’d expect, construction was on the overlocker with the sewing machine used for hems (I think it was a zig-zag stitch) and to secure the neckband seam allowance.

This is a time full of dissonance, isn’t it?  Conflict between thoughts, opinions and behaviours, and a general lack of harmony between the what we can see in our immediate worlds and what is happening in the broader world.  Distress over individual and community circumstances, alongside the opportunity to count our blessings.  I went for a walk yesterday evening and the sunset was beautiful, families were out walking, there were dogs aplenty having more exercise than they’ve ever had.  Yet at the same time, there’s a sense of foreboding and overlying tension, because we all know what is going on in the world with covid-19.  How do we reconcile these things?  How do we maintain our sense of balance, of perspective, of appreciation, of reality, of sadness, of concern, while we go about our changed daily lives?  Some people will go to places of anger and blame, others to depression and sadness, others will sustain their positivity, and others will employ the ostrich technique in order to simply get through their day.  I have read a few memes during this time that I have found helpful.  One simply said ‘After all this is over, all that will really matter is how we treated each other’.

My first go at the Presto Popover Top, by Naughty Bobbin Patterns, wasn’t completely successful. Part of the issue was my fabric choice, but another part of it was that I really needed a high rounded back alteration. After seeing Marjorie’s great fit on Instagram, with the alteration, I contacted Coco at Naughty Bobbin Patterns who provided me with instructions on how to do the same.

The fit this time around is so much better than it was the first time! This is a very simple pattern in term of the number of pieces and the construction, so I am very pleased that I’ll now be able to add it to my TNT collection.

The front is cut twice, so is self lined, and the height of the centre front neckline depends on how far up you sew the two fronts together before flipping them. In these photos you can tell that I should have sewn them up a little bit higher. On my body proportions the neckline has a fold line which vanishes if I pin it an inch higher. That’s probably partly caused by my lower left shoulder – like many people who are right handed and use a computer and mouse for a significant period of time, my right shoulder tends to get higher and higher with muscle tension.

I bought the fabric from a Facebook seller. It’s a synthetic probably polyester spandex blend, and has the right sort of drape and feel for this top. It’s fairly lightweight, so works well with a doubled front. Size wise I did the Medium but completely removed all waist shaping so that it essentially had straight side seams. And of course, I did the high rounded back alteration.

Coco describes this pattern as follows: The Presto! Popover Top is designed specifically for knits for the wash and wearability your daily life needs.  Knits with 5% or more stretch, especially ITY knits and rayon/elastane come in all colors and patterns, so make more than one and get on with your life.  Good bye washday blues!  With it’s clever double-front V-neck collar construction and the always comfy 3/4 sleeve the Presto! sews up quickly on the serger, but can be made on a zig-zag machine, too.  Can be made in heavier knits for winter, lighter knits for summer. Excellent choice for sheerer knits.

Other than the seam for the centre fronts, which was sewn on the sewing machine, I constructed the rest of this top entirely on the overlocker.  Hems were finished with a twin needle after securing with Vliesofix tape.

I first sewed Vogue 9057 in 2016, after doing a Tilton sisters’ knit top class on Craftsy, and I still enjoy wearing tops sewn from this pattern.  My sewing during this pandemic has all been ‘easy’ things so far – patterns that I have used before and are straightforward to cut and construct.  Very calming.

I bought the last of the bolt of this textured knit at Darn Cheap Fabrics a few months ago. I really do like texture in fabrics! After spending some time trying to decide which side would be the right side and which side would be the wrong side, I spent a couple of hours cutting and sewing view D with the longer sleeves from views A/B.

I sewed the Medium (even though I measure the Large). Remember to check the finished garment measurements and select size according to your own measurements while taking your ease preferences into account. I have also shortened this pattern through the body about an inch and a half. The neckband length was determined via Gillian’s fool-proof neckband method.

I don’t own a coverstitch machine, and decided to finish all the hems with a simple zig-zag. I find that works well on trickier knits, such as ones that are super stretchy or that have texture. I tend to use a twin needle on more stable knits, such as cotton/spandex blends. With a zig-zag I can sew a hem from the wrong side and make sure that the left stitch of the zig-zag is just off the raw folded edge. It gives a super neat finish on the inside, without added bulk. I actually hemmed this fabric before pressing it – less chance for the textured bits to stretch out. This worked well.

I’m likely to wear this with a scarf, as in this photo. This outfit is very much me! If this pattern has been languishing in your stash, I strongly suggest that you pull it out and give it a go.

In stay-at-home news, we’re all working and schooling from home.  The kids really miss their friends, and it tears at my heart.  There is enough academic content for them to get through, but so much else of school is missing.  I’m finding it all pretty tough at the moment, but don’t question the necessity.  We’ve done really well in Australia at keeping the infection rates low, especially through the distancing measures that were introduced over a month ago now.  And there are upsides of the stay-at-home measures – no travel time whatsoever, and opportunity for family to connect.  We’ve now watched all three ‘Lord Of the Rings’ movies! Although with school holidays over I feel almost as busy as before.  I’m missing the cleaner too.  Such first world issues.

It’s currently the second week of school holidays in Victoria (which is how I’m managing to get some sewing and crafting done).  Dan is working from home – he’s all set up in the garage, to avoid interruptions to his many video conferences.  I’m also set up to work from home.  I’m only doing a few hours of work each week of the school holidays, then I go back up to 24 hours per week from home once the school term goes back.  And I’m feeling anxious.  Anxious about how I’m going to juggle the time, and especially the headspace and motivation, to do good quality work while also supervising and supporting my daughters as they do school online for all of term two (at least).  We acknowledge that we’re incredibly lucky to be in the position of being able to convert to completely working from home, and still be earning our usual incomes, but we still have stresses associated with the current situation.  I’m so glad that indications are that we’re ‘flattening the curve’ here in Victoria and the rest of Australia, but we all know that it’s very early days.

I’m sad for both of my daughters too.  Clare’s final year of school is nothing like what we’d imagined.  She’ll now be doing assessments/exams at the time she thought she’d be celebrating with friends at the beach.  So many things missed – 18th birthdays, final school production, the list goes on and on for the class of 2020.  And for Stella, she’d only just started high school.  Friendships were just forming, and now we’ll be right back at the beginning.  I haven’t even met her teachers yet as parent-teacher interviews were cancelled.  I know these things are minor in the bigger picture, but sometimes I just want to cry.  Yet once again we’re lucky – the school already has Google classrooms set up and uses laptops across the board, so I know that they’ll still be learning and connecting.

So I’m making the most of the school holidays to sew up some patterns for easy, comfortable clothes.  Patterns I’ve used before, so nothing too challenging for my poor overcrowded brain.

This is possibly the fourth time I’ve sewed the Style Arc Abigail knit top. Size 12, no alterations. The fabric is viscose jersey that I snaffled from the Tessuti Fabrics remnants table late last year.

The pattern is designed to have an attached neck band, but I have never included that pattern piece. I think it’s just great as a V-neck top. The slight swing shape is perfect for my body, and the centre front seam makes it very straightforward to get a lovely V neckline.

Construction is straightforward. Shoulder seams sew first, then the neckline is finished. A straight strip is sewn to it, right sides together, and I keep a little tension on the strip as I sew (especially around the curvier parts of the neckline). Then press the seam allowances toward the strip, turn it to the inside, tucking the raw edge underneath, then topstitch it in place. Then you can do the centre front seam on the sewing machine, with judicious pinning to ensure that it lines up perfectly at the neckline. The rest of the construction is on the overlocker.

The Style Arc website says: This fashionable top can be made with or without the choker neck band. The swing silhouette makes this top stylish but easy to wear. The neck band is a current fashion trend but if you prefer a “V” neck top just leave out the neck band. Long or short sleeves? It’s your choice on this style. FABRIC SUGGESTION: Knit jersey or baby wool.

I hemmed the sleeves and the bottom of the top with a zig-zag stitch.  I often find this works better on softer, stretchier knits as it doesn’t ‘tunnel’ or stretch them out like a twin needle can.  I used vliesofix tape to secure the sleeve hems, but for the body I just turned it under and stitched.

I’m rapidly developing ‘isolation hair’, as I was due for a haircut the week before we went into stay at home mode, so did a quick google for ‘twisted headband tutorials’ and sewed up a headband from the scraps. There are a multitude of tutorials for doing this – YouTube, blogs, etc. Just pick one that resonates best with how you like to do things (and make sure that you choose the right size – you don’t want to accidentally make one for a baby when it’s intended for an adult). Clare quickly snaffled up the one I made.

I reckon I might need to start sewing one of these each time that I make something from a knit. Although I also think that it’s best that I leave them to my daughters.

While searching for headband tutorials I also found a terrific one on YouTube to make a turban style cap. That’s much more my style than the headband! Maybe later today (after I finish those few hours of paid work).

There is no clear explanation as to why some patterns get purchased and sewn up very quickly and others don’t.  Style Arc released the Portsea Luxe Sweat pattern at the beginning of this month.  A day later I had it purchased, printed, taped, cut out, sewn, and worn.

Style Arc describe this pattern as follows: This rolled cuff short sleeve sweat is perfect for Spring days but also perfect for layering for cooler temperatures. Slightly oversized fit with a square shape, hi-low hemline and side splits. The lux top is ideal for all occasions. FABRIC SUGGESTION: Fleece, unbrushed fleece or sweater knit.

I had some leftover Clear It french terry from when I sewed my Style Arc Brooklyn knit pants. There was just enough to eke out the pieces for this top. I love it when that happens!

This fabric was pretty thick, and I had to cut it out single layer (maybe my recent scissor sharpening wasn’t quite as effective as I’d hoped). It sews up nicely. It was mostly constructed on the sewing machine to facilitate topstitch seams that were pressed open, such as the front ‘sleeve’ seam and the shoulder seams. I overlocked other seam allowances together, and topstitched them down both as a detail and for structure.

The print on this fabric really cracks me up. Poison bottles! I only bought it because it was cheap and I thought it would be useful for muslins, and have discovered that it actually makes me smile and it’s a great fabric to wear.

Now I need to talk about the cuffs. The pattern is designed with a folded cuff, which is sewn to the sleeves then the side seams are sewn right up to the cuff edge, sandwiching the fold. In this thickish fabric it meant that I sewed through multiple layers, which was tough to do, and leaves plenty of bulk along that side seam. In future I would construct this differently. I would leave attaching the cuffs until last, after the side seams are sewn. The cuffs would also then be sewn into a ring, then attached, then folded back. This would reduce bulk enormously, and allow for the cuffs to be worn folded as designed, or unfolded.

I sewed size 12, which is my usual Style Arc top/dress size. It’s a roomy style – designed that way – and I’m happy with the fit. It’s a bit cropped at the front, with a longer back, and side seam splits.

I happily wore this over a cami on warmer days last week, then layered over a long sleeved tee on subsequent days. It really is a terrific layering piece, especially in these times where ‘stretchywear’ is what I’m reaching for each day. I’ll ferret through my stash to see if I have any appropriate fabric in a solid to sew another one. I’d like to try it in something a little drapier and slightly lighter weight. Just a bit.

Style Arc have an Easter sale on at the moment and this pattern is one of this month’s freebies, so if you’re interested, now is the time!