Scraptember Inspired Polly Tank Top

Yes that's a goat, her name's Connie. Also it's weird to see myself in the exact same pose with the exact same facial expression

Pattern: Polly Tank Top - By Hand London
Fabric: Scrap fabric leftover from a kimono I made and a disaster shirt I took apart

I had a little modeling session this morning, it was more that I couldn't figure out what I wanted to wear this shirt with. As you can see on the left I started a little more casually, but then I decided I didn't really want to wear that to work so I changed and then decided to take a few more pictures. Connie, one of our backyard goats, decided to help me model. I think she thought I was hiding food. After I made my first Polly, I knew I wanted to make another one and this is sort of what I was envisioning. Last week Morgan from Crab & Bee posted this gorgeous triangulated scrap dress she had made in honor of Scraptember, and it was my inspiration for this top.

 

I used leftover scraps from a Renfrew top I had made last year back when I really didn't know what I was doing (I still don't know what I'm doing half of the time, I'm just a little better nowadays) and made a knit pattern out of a chiffon like fabric, and from the kimono I made earlier this spring (both links are listed up top!). It was kind of fun trying to get the pieces I needed out of the fabric I had on hand. You can't see it in the picture above but the cream fabric that's supposed to be cut in one piece had to be cut in two because of the shape so it's seamed together up the center. I had to also sew the back in two pieces down the center for the same reason. That's sort of where the fun ended for me, I realized while I was making this that I don't really have a lot of practice sewing silky, shifty, easy fraying fabrics. I kind of hate them, a lot. They're a pain in the ass to cut out, there's no ease, and just super fiddly all around. Most sewers seem to be afraid of sewing with knits, but the majority of the things I've made since I started this blog have been with knit fabrics and so I feel confident making those. I know the only way to become more comfortable is to continue to sew with these types of fabric just like I did when I was starting with knits. Still, yuck. All in all it came out okay. One of the shoulder straps is more narrow, and the hem was originally uneven but I fixed that up easily enough.

Surprise! Completely different fabric in the back

Speaking of the hem, I don't think I will sew it the same way the next time I make another of these tops. The instructions have you sew a line of stitching at 5/8ths of an inch, then press it up, and then fold it again. It was hard for me to hem such a big rounded hem. I think I will sew a line of stitching at 5/8ths of inch, press up and trim the excess to about 1/8th of an inch and then use my rolled hem foot to sew a tiny hem. Because this fabric frays intensely I finished all of my seams using french seams. I sewed and 8 up top, graded down to a 6 through the waist, and back out to an 8 in the hips. Last time I had noted a little bit of a swayback issue, but this fabric has a lot more drape and I don't have that issue with this top. Can you guys believe it's already going to be October???

Yes that's a goat, her name's Connie. Also it's weird to see myself in the exact same pose with the exact same facial expression

Pattern: Polly Tank Top - By Hand London
Fabric: Scrap fabric leftover from a kimono I made and a disaster shirt I took apart

I had a little modeling session this morning, it was more that I couldn't figure out what I wanted to wear this shirt with. As you can see on the left I started a little more casually, but then I decided I didn't really want to wear that to work so I changed and then decided to take a few more pictures. Connie, one of our backyard goats, decided to help me model. I think she thought I was hiding food. After I made my first Polly, I knew I wanted to make another one and this is sort of what I was envisioning. Last week Morgan from Crab & Bee posted this gorgeous triangulated scrap dress she had made in honor of Scraptember, and it was my inspiration for this top.

 

I used leftover scraps from a Renfrew top I had made last year back when I really didn't know what I was doing (I still don't know what I'm doing half of the time, I'm just a little better nowadays) and made a knit pattern out of a chiffon like fabric, and from the kimono I made earlier this spring (both links are listed up top!). It was kind of fun trying to get the pieces I needed out of the fabric I had on hand. You can't see it in the picture above but the cream fabric that's supposed to be cut in one piece had to be cut in two because of the shape so it's seamed together up the center. I had to also sew the back in two pieces down the center for the same reason. That's sort of where the fun ended for me, I realized while I was making this that I don't really have a lot of practice sewing silky, shifty, easy fraying fabrics. I kind of hate them, a lot. They're a pain in the ass to cut out, there's no ease, and just super fiddly all around. Most sewers seem to be afraid of sewing with knits, but the majority of the things I've made since I started this blog have been with knit fabrics and so I feel confident making those. I know the only way to become more comfortable is to continue to sew with these types of fabric just like I did when I was starting with knits. Still, yuck. All in all it came out okay. One of the shoulder straps is more narrow, and the hem was originally uneven but I fixed that up easily enough.

Surprise! Completely different fabric in the back

Speaking of the hem, I don't think I will sew it the same way the next time I make another of these tops. The instructions have you sew a line of stitching at 5/8ths of an inch, then press it up, and then fold it again. It was hard for me to hem such a big rounded hem. I think I will sew a line of stitching at 5/8ths of inch, press up and trim the excess to about 1/8th of an inch and then use my rolled hem foot to sew a tiny hem. Because this fabric frays intensely I finished all of my seams using french seams. I sewed and 8 up top, graded down to a 6 through the waist, and back out to an 8 in the hips. Last time I had noted a little bit of a swayback issue, but this fabric has a lot more drape and I don't have that issue with this top. Can you guys believe it's already going to be October???