It often intrigues me how many variations there can be on a knit top!  Both the Style Arc Rhea that I posted yesterday and today’s Style Arc Lorna are sewn from knits, have 3/4 length sleeves and a round neckline, yet they are both so different.

I chose to sew this in a smaller scale print rayon/spandex Spotlight knit which unfortunately obscures the design lines a bit. From the Style Arc website:

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Easy fit knit top
Hip length
Front and back yokes
Dropped shoulder line
Raglan 3/4 length sleeve
Elastic sleeve openings
Slight gathers at sleeve head
Crew neck band
FABRIC SUGGESTION
Jersey, cotton knit

There are a few sewing techniques that I tend to resist, not because they are difficult, but because for some unsubstantiated reason I find them tedious. Darts. Gathers. Yet each time I do them I am reminded that they are actually quite straightforward and worth the effort. This top has some gathers at the sleeve head, and in conjunction with the neck yokes they really make the style.

There is one pattern piece for the back/front and one for the sleeves. All the shaping comes from the front and back yoke pieces. Clever drafting!

I sewed size 12, without alteration. There is plenty of room through the body in this one. The sleeves are simply gathered with elastic in a casing. That’s the easy way to gather!

I have found that I prefer the look of wider elastic to narrower in these situations. I always cut the elastic with a bit of extra length and thread it through a casing so that I can just safety pin it to length and wear it for a day or two to check that I like the tightness before I actually sew it in place. I do the same thing with waistband elastic where feasible.

As is often the case with knit garments, the majority of construction was on the overlocker, but the machine was used for gathering, topstitching, and securing hems.  This is a very easy to wear style, and is definitely suited to a climate like Melbourne. Thanks again to Style Arc!