Butterick 6814 Made With Minerva

This is a springtime pattern (I think) that is a very easy top to make and wear. As you may know, I’m a Minerva Maker, so for this project in May, I chose to get a cotton shirting from them. Here is a link to a previous post using Minerva fabric. This Butterick 6814 made with Minerva fabric was the perfect choice for me. And the results turned out great!

I’m always concerned when I get a pattern that has a V-neck. The V’s tend to be too low for my taste and comfort level. That means more work because the neckline will need to be raised. BUT, that was not the case with this pattern.

This pattern has the perfect V-neck without alterations!

While the above statement may not be a big deal to some of you, for me it’s huge! 😂 I love the look of V-neck tops, but they sometimes involve more work than I’m wanting to do.

The blouse I made was an unintended change to the pattern. I didn’t realize when I cut out the top that the sleeves weren’t folded up to show the shorter version. Therefore, I made a long sleeve version of View A. There are plans to make this the correct sleeve length out of a cotton eyelet fabric I have. I can’t wait to get that one done!

For now, this one will do. This is the type of top that makes an outfit look more put together instantly. Isn’t it great to have those types of things in the closet? And now as things start to open back up, I might actually have some place to go (eventually).

I have a blog post the really covers the fabric (it’s lightweight, washes and dries great, and sews up beautifully). You can get to that post here.

I hope I’ve given you another idea of something to add to your wardrobe. In the meantime, my plan to keep sewing and improving my skills!

60’s Feel In Modern Times- Sorbetto Top

I’ve heard so much about this top from Colette Patterns that I had to give it a try. I’m talking about the Sorbetto top which is a loose fitting woven top. It can be made with a center front pleat or without. I made this in a couple of different fabrics and I want to share those results with you now.

The first one I made I considered a wearable muslin (just in case things didn’t work out-LOL).

This is made using a lightweight cotton. It’s actually the perfect type of fabric for this I think. It sews easily and still maintains the style of the top.

The description says the top is loose and swingy, which it is. I actually took in the sides a bit (I made an actual muslin first for fit). I also had to adjust the neck because it was too big.

I then tried this in a gauze. I haven’t used this material before, so I was unfamiliar with how to keep it from stretching out. I got a good tip on IG: use some interfacing on the seam lines to keep those from distorting. I’ll keep that in mind for the next time since I had finished the top. By the way, this only takes about 45 minutes to an hour to put together! There are only two pattern pieces.

This is what happens when you take your camera outside on a very humid day. The lens fogs up. But you get a nice haze effect…

Anyway, I had to make more adjustments on this one due to the nature of the fabric. The side seams were taken in again and the arm was raised. I also had to raise the shoulder on this one.

My personal favorite is the pink made from the lightweight cotton. It was much easier to sew and I think keeps the integrity of the design better without as much work. But they are certainly both wearable. If you are interested in making this top, I highly recommend making an actual muslin as I did. I had to make the neck narrower to eliminate a gap, which I did for both of these.

I’m also working on some Fall sewing plans which I hope to share with you soon. Fall is my favorite time of year so I’m trying to keep my plan reasonable but productive 🙂

Top 3 – Classic Polka Dots

As you know, I spent the last two weeks of April making tops, specifically using woven (not knit) fabric. The last one that I made during that time period was using Simplicity 8602.

I made View A. Because the shirt is a little bit cropped in length, I added about 2″ to the length of the top. I also made this using a FBA (full bust adjustment). I have started doing these more often and I find that I’m getting a better fit. I had been just going up a pattern size but I was never very happy with the overall fit of the garment. So now, I’m back to using a smaller size, but including the FBA.

Simplicity 8602

I like this with the longer length and I LOVE the look of the polka dots, especially for summer. The jeans I’m wearing in the pictures are a previous make. These are the Closet Case Patterns “Morgan” boyfriend jeans ( that post is here).

The material used is rayon challis, which is perfect for something like this. It is lightweight but with enough body for the garment to flow. This particular one I bought from fabric.com. This is a quick and easy make with different sleeve options.