I have made another Sewaholic Renfrew. This time I made view B with the V Neck.
Fabric used was a grey cotton jersey. This was quite a stable knit and sewed well. The neckline is pulling a bit in this photo because of the way I have my arm positioned.
You can see how well the neckline sits when my arms are by my side.
And here is the back view. I am quite happy with the fit. The sleeves are a bit long but being cotton there may be some shrinkage, so I was allowing for this.
I was very happy with the V Neck. The instructions were very clear and made this quite easy. I finished the neckline with a twin needle rather than zigzag as the instructions suggest. I think this gives it a more RTW finish and stops it looking home made.
I have finally parted with my overlocker and sent it off for a well needed service. Therefore, I sewed this top entirely on my sewing machine, finishing the seams with a zigzag stitch.
This will be a great casual top for the weekend.
Top No. 2
Dolman Sleeve Top from Cation Designs which is a free pattern.
This a great little pattern that has been popping up quite a bit lately. I have made this previously (Pattern Review) but the neckline was a complete disaster.
For this one I changed the dimensions of the neck band from 24" x 1.25" (61cm x 3.2cm) to 21" x 2"(53.3cm x 5cm) This worked out much better. I also used the length and the hem band from the Sewaholic Renfrew. Fabric used was a jersey left over from my Wrap Dress.
I finished off the neckline using a zigzag stitch which I thought suited the fabric design better than a twin needle finish.
This is a great addition to my weekend wardrobe and a great way to use up some leftover fabric.
Top No.3
This one is a combination of the Cation Design Dolman Sleeve Top and the Sewaholic Renfrew V Neck Top.
Fabric choice can make a huge difference. The fabric I used for this top was a very fine knit (unknown content) that had a lot of drape and not a very good recovery. This had sat in my stash for a while. I didn't quite know what to do with it so I thought it would do, to try out this pattern combination.
See all that fabric pooling at the back? This is exactly the same back pattern piece I used for Top No. 2 (except for the neckline), and I didn't have any fabric pooling problem with that one. Also the sleeve bands are too loose. You might notice that the hem band is a little narrower too. I cut the original one off and removed nearly 7 inches before reattaching it.
This fabric is really tissue thin. I purchased it online, thinking it looked like a sweater knit from the online photo...I was bitterly disappointed. I guess that's the risk you take when ordering online.
You can see how thin it is in the shot above where the flash has picked up my bra through the fabric.
One thing I was really pleased with was the V Neck on this top. It turned out really neat, so I guess I will be making a few more of these easy tops in the future. (Just have to be quite careful choosing the fabric).
Happy Sewing
One thing that stands out from these are your sewing skills - They're great.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much velosewer. A compliment like this coming from such an accomplished sewer as yourself, means a lot.
DeleteI think the close-ups of your vee necks may have just pushed me over the edge to buy the Renfrew pattern ... gorgeous sewing! I really like all 3 tops. Too bad about the blue (?) fabric, though maybe it can be a layering piece. I wouldn't worry about the pooling in the back. You'll never see it when you're wearing it. LOL
ReplyDeleteI think you will be very happy with the Renfrew pattern. I was so pleased with how the V necks turned out. I've yet to try the cowl neck version. I look forward to seeing your Renfrews.
DeleteYou do have great skills -- all three of these tops look so professional. I keep thinking I'm going to get into top making, but I'm still dragging my feet.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Angela for that lovely comment. Both these patterns are nice and easy...a great place to start. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
DeleteHi Jean, lovely tops, those V's are perfect!
ReplyDeleteThanks very much Andrea. The instructions for the Renfrew are great and they make it easy to get a good result.
DeleteJean, perfect finishing on every neckline. I too have bought fabric online thinking is was more robust than it actually turned out - I'm thinking of double layering.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ruth. I wouldn't say they were perfect but I was very pleased with them. Your double layering idea would be a good solution too. So wish there were some local fabric shops nearby so I could actually see and touch the fabric before buying.
DeleteFabric choice makes such a huge difference! I had a similar experience with a knit top made from two different weights of knit fabric. The top made with the thinner fabric was somewhat disastrous but I suppose it was a good lesson to learn!
ReplyDeleteI guess if we can learn something from our sewing disasters, all is not lost. As long as we don't keep making the same mistakes over and over. Learn and move on to the next project.
DeleteI love the slinky fabric in the final Renfrew. Perhaps it needs a cami under it but I have a slinky Renfrew and it's my favourite, I love the drapey cowl and how it hangs over my curves. Nice job... is it just me or whatever did the sewing work make for tshirts until the Renfrew appeared?
ReplyDeleteThanks Lizzy. I like your idea of the slinky fabric with the cowl version of the Renfrew. Must remember to try this.
DeleteI can't believe you did all the finishing with the regular machine, they're all very neat. I might need some lessons from you. :) Looks professionally made and fit gorgeously. Nice Job.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your lovely comments BiKe. I have been trying to improve my neatness by taking my time and doing things properly, instead of rushing to get the garment finished quickly. I think it is paying off.
Deletethis is such a popular pattern, and your new tops ALL look great! Your finishing is so beautiful and neat.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Carolyn. I have been working on improving my finishing and it feels great to get such a lovely compliment from such an accomplished sewer as yourself.
ReplyDeleteLove all of your tops. I have the same black and white "aztecy" fabric. Love what you have done with yours. Great necklines. Is there a tutorial anywhere on how to do the last one. Love it.
ReplyDeleteThanks BeaJay. The last one is just the Sewaholic Renfrew V Neck. I just followed the sewing instructions that came with the pattern. They were pretty easy to follow, however, I am sure there would be lots of tutorials floating around the blogosphere. I have just bought a Craftsy class called "Sewing on the Edge" with Lynda Maynard. It has a whole lesson on banded V necks so I will let you know what it is like as soon as I watch it.
DeleteThank you soooo much for this post! I have been searching for a simple (design and construction) dolman top and this seems to fit both requirements! I have a delicious cut of gray and ecru wool abstract print from Mood Fabrics and have had a vision of a dolman top and straight skirt in my head since I purchased the fabric this summer!
ReplyDeleteAlso, YOU SOOOOO NAILED THE NECKLINE of your v-neck Ts! They are AWESOME!!
Thanks again for the timely and very useful information - - and for your inspiration!!
Best
Laura
Thanks Laura for those lovely comments. So glad I have been able to inspire someone. I find all the sewing blogs out there are such a great source of inspiration for my sewing too.
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