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A new top!

Among other things I’ve been doing, I have been making some clothing!   Several months back I fell in love with the Philip Jacobs (for Westminster Fabrics, he’s part of the KFC:  Kaffe Fassett Collective of designers) petunia print in the blues.  I was able to order it from Glorious Color (on Blue petunia fabric by Philip Jacobs, for as long as it is in stock!).  Philip designs (gloriously) for both Rowan and for his own line, Snow Leopard.   See his Westminster fabrics here or visit his Facebook page here.  He also has a horse named Neddy who approves his designs (grin!).

Sarah in her new tunic. The opening is deep and requires a camisole or decorative something underneath.

Sarah in her new tunic. The opening is deep and requires a camisole or decorative something underneath.  I lengthened the sleeves so I could wear a long-sleeve T under it in winter.  It gets cold up here in Maine!  By adding 6-8 inches you could make a lovely dress (or if you have shapely legs and don’t mind short, wear as a short dress as is).

I used a pattern I have had in my stash for a while and that is wildly popular:  the Schoolhouse Tunic by Sew Liberated.  You can find it in many quilt shops including Alewives Fabrics (one of my great local shops).  The direct link to the pattern on the Alewives site is Schoolhouse Tunic.  An alewife, by the way, is a type of fish.  They are common in the area and they spawn by going upstream–just behind the shop.  You can always tell when the Alewives are running in spring because every sea bird, gull, cormorant in a many-mile-radius is squawking and flying about!

The pattern I used.

The pattern I used.  My friend Kate has made this in a lovely natural linen and in some shirtings and it looks great.  Flatters many figure types, too.   Notice the 3/4 length of the sleeves.

with sleeve turned up.

with sleeve on left of photo turned up.  I made the hems really deep so that I could turn up the sleeves in summer and still have it look pretty.

I have some jersey (t-shirt type) fabric–another splurge purchase at Alewives–that I want to use to make another one.  For that one, I will not use such a deep hem.   My size, alas, has increased somewhat.  I had thought by using the next-to-largest size I would have ample room for a shirt underneath.  I have room, just not ample room.   So when I make it in the jersey, I don’t think I will do the usual “go down a size to make up for the stretch.”  I can easily fine tune the fit by taking deeper seams on the sides if I decide I need to do that.

This top was one of the projects I sewed on Janome’s new Skyline S7 machine, which I will review on Monday, October 26th.   I used the blind hem stitch to overcast the edges.

Seam finishes in my tunic: bias facing, on the top, overcast edge at the armscye (set in sleeve seam) and French seam (enclosed raw edges) on the side seam.

Seam finishes in my tunic: bias facing, on the top, overcast edge at the armscye (set in sleeve seam) and French seam (enclosed raw edges) on the side seam.

Next up:  a review of an “App” for one’s iOS device (iPad etc) and the top of the line Janome 15000 on which I usually sew.   The App is incredible…that post will be up in a couple of days.

 

10 Responses to “A new top!”

  1. Jenny K. Lyon Says:

    Fabulous! You’re rocking that shirt! Looks really great and a wonderful print on that fabric. Think you hit a home run on this one.

  2. Sherri D Says:

    Could you make it without the deep V in front? Just curious. Well done though. It looks very comfy!

  3. Sharon Siacci Says:

    looks terrific Sarah

  4. Jaye Says:

    My dressmaker made me one of these. I wear it with leggings and a Nordstrom tank top that is very form fitting. So far so good.

  5. Whiskers Says:

    I saw this pattern at the quilt show in Spokane last weekend and debated about getting it. They had made it in a rayon batik, similar to the colors you used. Which look very nice on you, by the way.

  6. Maggie Magee Says:

    Nice tunic and looks great! You are inspiring me to gett back to making some clothes for myself and haven’t done that for years.

  7. Maggie Magee Says:

    Nice tunic and looks great! You are inspiring me to getting back to making some clothes for myself and haven’t done that for years.

  8. Patricia L Walters Says:

    Good for you! Looks great! I Need to make some clothes too.

  9. LuAnn Kessi Says:

    Nicely done Sarah and it looks oh so wonderful on you! Thanks for letting us take a peek.

    LuAnn Kessi in Oregon
    luannkessi.blogspot.com

  10. Art and Quilting in Camden and Hope » Blog Archive » Janome’s new Skyline S7 Sewing Machine Says:

    […] A new top! […]