A multitude of tops: LB top, Hemlock, Glacial

This was prompted by a need to make a top for a friend, first of all.  But also, I had had a Vision, as you do and needed to follow it through. 

First off: the LB top by Paper Theory. As I have done before, this is without the funnel neck and without sleeves and without any other modifications. It creates a simple little shift top.  In this lovely flannel like fabric from Lamazi fabrics it's so cozy and drapey - I bought the wrong colour (it's hideous!  Haha the combination of dark green and gold really isn't my thing) and will suit my olive skinned friend Regina to perfection.  I use a small piece of bias binding for the neck, just folded over the sleeves on a double fold, and same to hem the bottom.  

 

Grainline Hemlock with minor modification of the sleeve 

This is a one-size pattern. 

This was my vision.  I have worked this pattern to death and my pattern pieces are a mess because of that, many pieces of badly labelled and taped together tracing paper.  Am I the only one who only accepts wrapping of my shopping if it will be wrapped in white tracing paper that I can reuse for sewing?

This version has just a bit of the sleeve added onto the shoulder compared to the original (which is a FREE PATTERN) - really just enough to create a seam allowance.  I have long since cropped it from the original which is a long shapeless top.  I then did a cuff of the same size as that sleeve bit - think maybe I should have tapered it a little. The cuff is folded double.  This fabric is by Mind the Maker.  It is their oeko-tex 100% cotton "organic slub jacquard".  It is quite heavy, almost sweaterlike, with only mechanical stretch and texture woven in.  Therefore a bit tricky as you need to think carefully what pattern it will suit.

 When I made this top I was really disgruntled the entire time because it looked so big and so...meh.  But the pictures show me that despite various neck band issues (I think I was planning to do it as a facing style band but that stretched out like crazy so then I did a tshirt type band instead), it matches my vision exactly.  I wanted a cropped but oversized pale top to wear all summer.  I need to get on with that next step - "wear all summer" cause the hot days are here. 

Pattern Fantastique Glacial skivvy, S 

This is the third of the tshirt bundle from Pattern Fantastique.  The price for the bundle was good.  I suddenly wanted a nice baselayer top (which I won't wear for months, honestly) and I thought this would be a great choice.  I didn't size down as the fabric I am using is a medium weight and not super stretchy, and the pattern is specifically drafted for merino blends.  This is another one of the Oeko-tex fabrics I got from my european shopping binge, this particular one from Ansje Handmade.  It is Mind the Maker organic woolen ottoman, 85% cotton, 15% wool.  It has a kind of horizontal rib look on one side and a smooth other side, and has a bit of a sticky feel ie none of the drapey dampness of rayon or viscose.  I went with the short waist length and to my surprise for a baselayer I could even have gone longer.  The long sleeves are just as the pattern says they will be - they go perfectly to my knuckles.  Near the end of winter and in early spring I was wishing for a top like this so I assume once the weather cools again I will wear it a lot.   

 

These patterns don't have any instructions, which is why they are cheap for the 3 patterns - but there are some instructions online if you need them (I think the Aeolian has more detailed instructions somewhere online too.)  I'm really enjoying this tee bundle!  The Equinox was lovely, though now that I've worn mine I will stick with the smaller size I made - and I'm sure once I get the itch to make the Aeolian I'll go crazy and make 3.

Grainline Hemlock binge

Welcome to the Grainline Hemlock!  I didn't like this pattern at all when I first made it.  Since then styles have changed, as they do, and I don't know what sounds better than a drop sleeved oversized curved hem top.  This pattern is free and it's one size fits all.  It is better suited to lightweight, drapey fabrics.  Don't be like me and make it out of a stiff sweatshirting weight jersey (here.)

It took a few modifications to perfectly achieve my vision.

Version 1 is shortened 4 inches - this is the original pattern I used a few years ago.  In a drapey silk viscose knit it's fantastic.  I used about 2 inches of the sleeve.  I love this shirt and I think I was insane not to love it before.  If I keep rediscovering my own patterns, I'll never need to buy more!

(Yes those are my new Papercut Palisade pants.  I recycled pictures!)

Version 2 used the short version as the side seam length, and then lengthened (the back) and shortened (the front) using the curve from the Megan Nielsen Briar tee.  I also inspected the sleeve and changed the curve of the body, slightly like the Strata top body-sleeve area, so that it would not bunch up in my armpit as much.  (Interestingly this is the same design feature that I complained about on my first Strata top.  I reserve the right to contradict myself freely.)

Version 3 is the version of my dreams.  I lowered the front curve a bit, and also extended the shoulder seam down one inch.

This is merino blend from Otara in Auckland, land of cheap fabrics.  There may be a lot of blend in there because it's quite lightweight and doesn't feel like merino. 

And then on version 4 so I wouldn't have too many TOTALLY IDENTICAL items in my wardrobe, I added cuffs, but the shoulder seam is back in the previous location, same as the grey one.  This merino is from The Fabric Store, and it feels quite a bit denser than the stuff from Otara.  The challenge is on: is $40 merino better than $10 dollar merino?

I'm done with this now!

Knit to woven: Grainline Hemlock and Penny tees

The inspiration for making some shapeless knit tees in woven fabric came about because I have a length of fantastic cream linen with flocked chartreuse spots on it.  You don't think that sounds amazing?  You just haven't seen it, or gotten to pet the spots.  So I was kind of at a loss for what to do.  Washing it made the spots start to shred.  So I wanted something that would suit the linen but wouldn't need a lot of washing.

Take 1 is the Grainline Penny Raglan tee. I'm not the first person to have made it from wovens.  My knit versions have mostly been gifted away except for the blue one with stars.  I think in a knit it should be done in something super drapey like rayon or bamboo, otherwise it's too shapeless.

However, the combination of silk charmeuse and knit sleeves worked fantastically!  This is the same size I made in the past - XS, totally not at all my measurements, but I knew my tolerance for oversized was limited.  This is very short though, which is more obvious in a woven than it was in the knit.  I would lengthen future versions.  I'm short waisted so you don't hear me say that very often...

The neckline gathered a bit at the front due to my binding and I actually like that effect quite a lot.  In order to preserve it, I didn't topstitch the neckline.  I also added sleeve bindings which I didn't topstitch, but will, because the stitching keeps flipping out.  This top has become a surprise success.  I love its breezy comfort and the ridiculous pattern is nicely broken up by the black sleeves.

Next I moved onto the Grainline Hemlock.  My first version of this was in relatively heavy organic cotton and was such a fail.  Yet again, only drapey, lightweight fabrics could save this pattern.  But first - lightweight silk, sleeveless.  This would benefit from an overlocker to finish the side seams - as usual I got caught by French seams that create an awkward V where you start hemming the sleeve.  I'm tempted to try this one with a little bit of sleeve on it.  Maybe not full length, but just a few inches worth.  Still, it's another surprise success in silk.  Because the sleeves go over my shoulders, this top looks crappy under a cardigan, it bunches up in weird ways.  But alone it looks just fine.

Also of note, I was planning to have the front pieces purposefully unmatched.  Go figure when I specifically try to not pattern match, that I end up with almost perfect matching...

The flocked spots might end up being raglan sleeves on a Penny top, but most of that fabric has been co-opted by an artist friend of mine who convinced me I should use it to make her a dress for an important gallery opening.  I reckon when an artist falls in love with a fabric, a smart person shouldn't stand in the way of that relationship. 

Grainline shibori Scout & Hemlock tee

In my endless, slow progress toward a well-fitting Scout, this version is for my cousin who is basically the same size as me. (Previous Scouts here, here, here, here)  It's a size 4 at the top, going to a size 2 below the armscye.  No other changes.  It's interesting to see all my trial Scouts in different fabrics, but the main lesson (other than ugh, silk-velvet) was that a shoulder widening didn't improve the fit across my back.  This version is much better.  I will add in a sloping shoulder adjustment to my next Scout...but I'm hopeful that I'm finally nearly arrived at my goal!  

Making a Scout is pretty easy.  I french seamed the shoulders and sides, and therefore forgot what the seam allowance was to set in the sleeves, which I refuse to french seam, but it didn't influence the fit (I sort of went from 5/8 to 4/8 on one sleeve.)  The fabric is a very densely knit cotton that I dyed about 2 summers ago, using shibori techniques. 

And I've been looking for some kind of ideal, exciting knit top.  So finally I got on the Grainline Hemlock bandwagon.  Because it's free, and the dropped shoulder started to appeal to me.  But I think this top needs a fabric with less body.  My version is just...ok.  I did what I could to make it wearable, aka I added cuffs to the sleeves and shortened the body by 2 inches.  I might make another one in a lighter weight jersey and take 2" out of the center front and center back to narrow it a bit.  Not sure yet. 

The fabric for this, as boring as it may appear, is actually interlock weight organic cotton from siebenblau in Berlin.  I love their website but they don't ship abroad, so during a recent trip I allowed myself to buy a few pieces of fabric there.  It was overwhelming!  There's still so much I wish I could have from their website!!