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!