I'm so excited to write about this top because I just love it! This was an idea that formed in my head but I had no idea if it would work or not so I am so pleased that it did. This top was another creation inspired by a top that I saw on the high street. I then drafted a pattern to re-create it and I'll admit that there were a lot of incredibly frustrating parts to this project as always with a self-drafted pattern, however I'm really pleased I resisted the temptation to give up on it because the end result is just what I was hoping for.
I love being able to recreate items of clothing that I see and drafting my own patterns is definitely something that I enjoy and that I'd like to continue doing in 2019. The top that I was inspired by for this project was this one. I really liked the idea of making a shirt out of jersey, definitely not the kind of fabric usually used for a shirt. I received this lovely cotton jersey from Craft Cotton Co and the shirt just seemed like the perfect thing to make out of it! The fabric was much more light weight than I was anticipating which meant that I wasn't able to make what I had initially planned, however it is perfect for making t-shirts in. It's a lovely shade of grey too.
When it came to drafting the pattern, it definitely wasn't easy! The collar in particular was really difficult as I wasn't sure how deep the curve should be. After making the collar I did nearly give up: it wasn't at all wide enough to go around the neck of my dress-form and it just wasn't lying flat. In the end, I actually rolled the collar to the inside about a cm and pinned it down to see if it would work; and it did! To keep the collar lying flat I added a few stitches along the edge. I'm so pleased with how well this worked as I really wasn't sure it would. This was definitely a project that I disliked making at the time of making but love it so much now that it's finished!
I decided early on that there was no way I was going to be sewing buttonholes into this fabric. Sewing buttonholes into any knit fabric is hard but with a jersey that was this light-weight would have been nigh on impossible! The buttons are actually sewn through both layers, and the fabric is stretchy enough that I can easily put on the top without the need for buttonholes. I left one button at the top sewn into only the left side to make it look more genuine. I'm so happy with how this method work, I think I'll definitely do it again! The buttons that I used I believe were taken off of an old shirt that belonged to my Dad, the matching set was perfect for this project. I really like the look of lots of small buttons along the front of this top.
When it came to the hem I was once again worried about the weight of the fabric as sewing a normal hem would have probably resulted in it turning up constantly. Again, this was an easy solve and I sewed a lettuce hem along the sleeves and hem. Not only does it mean that the hem will stay in place, I also really like the look of it. A double-win!
A final detail that I added was this snippet of orange that I added in the back. I love adding labels to my makes and this stunning cotton cord that my Mum bought from Petit Pan was just perfect. The orange adds such a lovely splash of colour and it makes me smile every time I put this top on.
Being able to re-create a top and draft your own design is, in my opinion, something really special. I love the style of this top but I also love the fabric that I drafted it. I know it is going to get a lot of wear!
Made by Anna at Let's Get Sewing for The Craft Cotton Company 2019