I haven’t even counted how many times I’ve sewn this pattern – it must be into double figures by now. I’m not going to go into much detail; just use the search feature on my blog if you want to find my previous versions.

It’s Vogue 9057, first published in 2014 and still in print but now as Vogue 1733. It was a Pattern Review best pattern in 2015, 2016 and 2017, and there are more than eighty reviews of it there at the moment.

I tend to sew size Medium, which is smaller than my measurements would suggest. Marcy Tilton designed this pattern, and it seems to work really well on most body shapes. I generally sew view D/E, with the points in the front hemline.  I finished the sleeves with cuffs because of fabric restrictions that meant I had to cut the sleeves shorter than utilise scraps to make cuffs to get them to full length.

The fabric is a printed remnant that I found at The Cloth Shop. I always like to ferret through the remnant bins! I suspect that I’m more likely to wear this type of print to work than casually, but this is how I wore it a week or two ago.

I’m never quite certain how much information you (and I!) need when I blog about repeat sews.  There’s not usually much to say about the instructions, because I often don’t refer back to them when repeating a garment, and you’ve already seen the line drawings and heard my general thoughts.  I suppose the main thing is if I have varied from the pattern in terms of fitting or style alterations.

I’m starting with Vogue 8634, an out of print pattern that I sewed when away on a restorative weekend at Sewjourn in May. The caramel and marle grey stripe is a divine wool knit that I bought from a friend’s destash, but I note is currently available at Potter & Co. I am very tempted to buy more of it; it was incredibly lovely to sew with and has been equally lovely to wear. Such good quality!

If this blog is to be believed, this is the fifth time that I have sewn this pattern! I made it three times in 2011, once in 2018 (a friend is now wearing that version so I get to see it regularly) and now for the fifth time in 2023. That’s pattern longevity! I used the same pattern pieces, with the upper front taped to the lower front to make one piece, and added heaps of width to the body pieces from the armhole down when cutting out, angling it out straight to give me extra inches through the midriff, particularly in the front for my belly. I also shortened the pattern a little, mostly due to fabric restrictions. It was actually handy to have those prior blog posts to refer to. There wasn’t quite enough fabric to make the collar/cowl piece the full width it is drafted for, but it seems to have still worked out okay.

I did match the stripes at the seams, other than the front raglan sleeve. It’s very difficult – actually close to impossible – to match stripes across both front and back raglan sleeves, depending on the shaping. This top is a very fast sew, all overlocked together after stripe matching the seams with a pin every couple of stripes.  Yes, I was very careful to pull those pins out before they got to the overlocker blade! I used my sewing machine to do a twin needled hem on the bottom and the sleeves, after using double-sided fusible tape to secure them in place.

To go with the top (and many other garments in my wardrobe) I sewed up a Style Arc Simone cardigan.

My blog tells me that I’ve sewn this pattern eight times now, starting back in 2014! I’ve sewn it in wool blend jersey, polyester knits, very drapey bamboo jersey, and in soft ponte. This time around I sewed it in a fairly lightweight merino jersey from Drapers Fabrics. I’ve found this to be an excellent travel cardigan when sewn in a lighter weight, and I also like the way that the folded pockets drape best in that type of fabric. Ponte gives it an interesting structure, depending on the weight, but I find the effect from drapier fabrics more pleasing. It also rolls up nice and small to shove into a bag for that extra lightweight but warm layer.

Those two layers of wool are clinging together ridiculously when I look at photos from the back! That said, the size 12 fit across the upper back and shoulders is good in a knit.  This is a very fast sew, pretty much all on the overlocker with the sewing machine used judiciously to secure the front pockets into the side seams and hem before overlocking, and for the hems.

These are pleasing additions to my winter and trans-seasonal wardrobe. Worn again with my Vado jeans, and Django & Juliette boots.

Winter school holidays are just beginning, and I also have two weeks off work!  I am aiming to get my blog and Instagram updated over that time, but as you can imagine I have a whole lot of other things filling my calendar and my to-do list, so we’ll just see how I go!

I’ve sewn the Style Arc Verona woven top once before, but can’t seem to find photos or a blog post! From the Style Arc website:

• Raglan 3/4 bias cut sleeves, with elastic
• Gathered front and back neck
• Bound neckline with button and loop opening
• Wide hem facing
• Square shape body
• Sits on high hip
• FABRIC SUGGESTION: Cotton, linen

I sewed it in silk noil, which was a gift from a friend. I had two lengths, with neither colour quite enough for a garment on it’s own, but in combination they were perfect for this top! I sewed size 12, added about 5/8″ to the length – next time I would add an inch and a half, or do the FBA that it probably needs – and I eliminated the centre back neckline opening, as my head is quite small. I took advantage of the centre back seam to include a small adjustment for my rounded upper back.

This top has beautiful wide facings around the hemline, which ensures that it keeps it’s shape. I think it’s quite a high end finish, especially if like me, you never tuck anything in. Having the sleeves cut on the bias gives them a beautiful drape and makes them especially comfortable to wear. They have simple elastic in a casing to gather them in. I might sew this top again with full length sleeves at some stage, although fitting a longer/larger sleeve piece onto the width of fabric might be challenging!

I made sure to stabilise the neckline edge of the sleeves with fusible tape so that the bias edge wouldn’t stretch out. The neckline is bias bound. I didn’t use the pattern piece for the neckband width – I cut it a little wider and then ran it through my bias tape maker, rather than following the pattern instructions to fold it in half. Then I applied it to the right side, folded it over to enclose the seam allowances, and hand-stitched the fold in place on the wrong side. I like the finish that gives me. It is important to mark the shoulder seams, centre front and centre back as per the neckband piece, and not to stretch out the bias neckband. Make sure that you use the front and back neckline gathering guides in order to draw up the centre front and centre back gathering to the right length.

For those who prefer more information than in the printed instructions, Style Arc also have a tutorial for sewing the Verona woven top. My tip re the sleeve elastic – use a safety pin to secure it at your preferred length, then wear the top at least once to decide on whether you want the elastic tighter or looser around your arm before finally securing the elastic in place.

I am definitely sewing this pattern again!