Navy Blue Eyelet Strip Granville Button Down

Pattern: Granville Shirt - Sewaholic Patterns
Fabric: Navy Blue Cotton Eyelet Stripe Shirting - Colorado Fabrics 

I was super  excited to take pictures this morning because I realized over the weekend that my old-school point and shoot digital camera had a timer option that would take two pictures in a row. After figuring out the perfect height to place the camera, what spot in the room I got the best light in, etc. the batteries died. Of course we're fresh out of AA batteries. Blah - why do Monday's always inevitably not go quite right. Anyways it was back to the laptop pictures, but I did manage to figure out how to turn the exposure up. So even though the pictures might be a little bit grainy you can see the fabric!

The Granville top is a new pattern release from Sewaholic Patterns. Way back when I first started this blog one of my first projects was the Minoru Jacket. I was excited when I saw this pattern release because I love the look of a fitted button down. I feel like this can transition from work wear to everyday wear depending on what you wear with it. Not to mention that this fabric makes me think of spring and summer. I love the texture and the tiny little eyelet hole strips (not sure what the technical term is sooooo I'm going with that).

I based my size off of the finished measurements included on the pattern envelope and ended up cutting a 8 through the top, a six through the waist, and I graded back out to an 8 through the waist. I like the way this ended up fitting through the bust and waist but I don't like how exaggerated the hip flare is. I know part of that is the design of the shirt which is supposed to be curvy and not straight but I think I would prefer and could just sew a straight 6 or keep the 8 in the bust. Alternatively I think I could just take a half inch off of each side on those two front pieces right at the seam. I also have some major swayback going on which I think I'm actually going to try and fix and make the adjustment on my pattern piece so that it will be fixed forever. I just really want this to be very fitted and streamlined that way if I ever wear it under anything I won't look lumpy.
 

I got the buttons from JoAnn's and they're LaMode Style 27673. I was originally going for a nautical vibe but I feel like it ended up looking more cowgirl. Ahhh well. I also spent a lot of time making sure my sleeve plackets were perfect only to end up sewing one sleeve on completely inside out - which somehow resulted in the placket not only being wrong side up but also on the top of my arm instead of on the bottom. I thought about picking it out and reattaching but for once in  my life I actually took the time to flat fell all of the seams of the shirt so I wouldn't have any raw edges exposed inside and that meant I'd have to unpick that seam too. Way too much work for something only I'll notice but also very frustrating to have happen after spending a ton of time being careful with every other part of the shirt. 

All in all once I get things in order with this pattern I feel like this will definitely be a wardrobe staple. Now in the meantime I will get some batteries so I can show off the dress I made a week ago and wore to Easter! Next up on the cutting table....jeans!

Pattern: Granville Shirt - Sewaholic Patterns
Fabric: Navy Blue Cotton Eyelet Stripe Shirting - Colorado Fabrics 

I was super  excited to take pictures this morning because I realized over the weekend that my old-school point and shoot digital camera had a timer option that would take two pictures in a row. After figuring out the perfect height to place the camera, what spot in the room I got the best light in, etc. the batteries died. Of course we're fresh out of AA batteries. Blah - why do Monday's always inevitably not go quite right. Anyways it was back to the laptop pictures, but I did manage to figure out how to turn the exposure up. So even though the pictures might be a little bit grainy you can see the fabric!

The Granville top is a new pattern release from Sewaholic Patterns. Way back when I first started this blog one of my first projects was the Minoru Jacket. I was excited when I saw this pattern release because I love the look of a fitted button down. I feel like this can transition from work wear to everyday wear depending on what you wear with it. Not to mention that this fabric makes me think of spring and summer. I love the texture and the tiny little eyelet hole strips (not sure what the technical term is sooooo I'm going with that).

I based my size off of the finished measurements included on the pattern envelope and ended up cutting a 8 through the top, a six through the waist, and I graded back out to an 8 through the waist. I like the way this ended up fitting through the bust and waist but I don't like how exaggerated the hip flare is. I know part of that is the design of the shirt which is supposed to be curvy and not straight but I think I would prefer and could just sew a straight 6 or keep the 8 in the bust. Alternatively I think I could just take a half inch off of each side on those two front pieces right at the seam. I also have some major swayback going on which I think I'm actually going to try and fix and make the adjustment on my pattern piece so that it will be fixed forever. I just really want this to be very fitted and streamlined that way if I ever wear it under anything I won't look lumpy.
 

I got the buttons from JoAnn's and they're LaMode Style 27673. I was originally going for a nautical vibe but I feel like it ended up looking more cowgirl. Ahhh well. I also spent a lot of time making sure my sleeve plackets were perfect only to end up sewing one sleeve on completely inside out - which somehow resulted in the placket not only being wrong side up but also on the top of my arm instead of on the bottom. I thought about picking it out and reattaching but for once in  my life I actually took the time to flat fell all of the seams of the shirt so I wouldn't have any raw edges exposed inside and that meant I'd have to unpick that seam too. Way too much work for something only I'll notice but also very frustrating to have happen after spending a ton of time being careful with every other part of the shirt. 

All in all once I get things in order with this pattern I feel like this will definitely be a wardrobe staple. Now in the meantime I will get some batteries so I can show off the dress I made a week ago and wore to Easter! Next up on the cutting table....jeans!

Scoop Neck High Back Long Sleeve Golden Nettie Bodysuit

 

Fabric: Mustard Yellow Solid Cotton Spandex Knit Fabric - Girl Charlee

Pattern: Nettie Dress & Bodysuit - Closet Case Files

If you're thinking another Nettie Bodysuit? The answer is an unapologetic yes! I'm loving this pattern for fall, mainly because wearing super stretchy knit fabric is really comfortable, but also because of how warm and cozy these bodysuits are. When the pattern came out earlier in the summer the thought of wearing a skin tight bodysuit in the hot sun wasn't really appealing to me. Now that the weather has cooled down though these things are great! This was a super quick sew considering that this was my second time working with the pattern, I'd previously made a three quarter length sleeve, high neck, low back version. It took about 3 hours from cutting the fabric to finish, enough time to finish House of Cards and start watching Bates Motel - which has a nice eerie feel to it, perfect for October.

This fabric had a lot of stretch to it similar to the fabric I used for my last Nettie. I wanted to avoid wrinkles around the midsection due to the fabric being too loose so I sewed an 8 through the bust, graded down to a 6 in the waist, and then went out to a 12 through the hips. There are no wrinkles this time and it doesn't feel too tight. I think I could get away with a 10 in the hips. The 12 fits nicely over my bottom, but it's not necessarily snug which isn't an issue just something I might tweak in the future. 

Last time I also had some problems with stretching under the armscye, but the high back seems to have rectified that and I didn't need to make any adjustments throughout the shoulder. Overall I really like the way the scoop neck fits and I like that it's not too low. I had considered getting some other fabric or stretch lace to make a contrasting binding around the neckline, but decided to just go the straightforward route this time. I have a fancy schmancy Nettie dress planned that I think I'm going to incorporate lace into.

Can we talk about how fun this skirt is by the way? Have a great week you guys!

 

Fabric: Mustard Yellow Solid Cotton Spandex Knit Fabric - Girl Charlee

Pattern: Nettie Dress & Bodysuit - Closet Case Files

If you're thinking another Nettie Bodysuit? The answer is an unapologetic yes! I'm loving this pattern for fall, mainly because wearing super stretchy knit fabric is really comfortable, but also because of how warm and cozy these bodysuits are. When the pattern came out earlier in the summer the thought of wearing a skin tight bodysuit in the hot sun wasn't really appealing to me. Now that the weather has cooled down though these things are great! This was a super quick sew considering that this was my second time working with the pattern, I'd previously made a three quarter length sleeve, high neck, low back version. It took about 3 hours from cutting the fabric to finish, enough time to finish House of Cards and start watching Bates Motel - which has a nice eerie feel to it, perfect for October.

This fabric had a lot of stretch to it similar to the fabric I used for my last Nettie. I wanted to avoid wrinkles around the midsection due to the fabric being too loose so I sewed an 8 through the bust, graded down to a 6 in the waist, and then went out to a 12 through the hips. There are no wrinkles this time and it doesn't feel too tight. I think I could get away with a 10 in the hips. The 12 fits nicely over my bottom, but it's not necessarily snug which isn't an issue just something I might tweak in the future. 

Last time I also had some problems with stretching under the armscye, but the high back seems to have rectified that and I didn't need to make any adjustments throughout the shoulder. Overall I really like the way the scoop neck fits and I like that it's not too low. I had considered getting some other fabric or stretch lace to make a contrasting binding around the neckline, but decided to just go the straightforward route this time. I have a fancy schmancy Nettie dress planned that I think I'm going to incorporate lace into.

Can we talk about how fun this skirt is by the way? Have a great week you guys!

High Neck Low Back Nettie

I'd never thought I'd say this, but I'm the proud owner of a bodysuit!!!

Fabric: Hunter Green Solid Cotton Spandex Knit - Girl Charlee 
Pattern: Nettie Dress & Bodysuit - Closet Case Files

Life is funny sometimes. You get older, things change, people change, and sometimes at the age of 26 you find yourself wearing an adult sized onesie. It's like being a baby all over again except this time you remember it, not mention much more fashionable! Which is why we're calling it a bodysuit. That makes me think of something sleek, high fashion, and a little femme fatale. The designer of this bodysuit is none other than Heather Lou from Closet Case Files. Heather is the brainchild behind the Bombshell Swimsuit which I made previously this summer. Heather's also really nice and professional. I know this firsthand because I emailed her with some issues I was having and she got back to me ASAP, was helpful, and didn't make me feel like an amateur for having problems. It's scary when you first enter the sewing world and you see people pumping out amazing pieces of clothing with awesome technique. When you get treated like an equal it makes asking questions and chiming in a lot easier.

When this pattern was first released I actually wasn't that interested. But then I thought about things I complain about in my everyday wardrobe: bulky tucked in shirts and weird waist bulge when wearing a shirt tucked into a skirt. The Nettie really fixes all of those things because of how it's constructed and the body conforming nature of a stretchy knit fabric, not to mention the pattern includes variations on front and back neckline and arm lengths making it pretty versatile. If bodysuits still aren't your thing there's a variation for a dress included. This was my first time buying fabric from Girl Charlee and the only thing I didn't like was that you can only buy fabric in whole yards. I ended up getting 2 yards of this even though I only needed about 1 and a quarter, but that's okay because I had a gift card from my sister (thanks, Renee!).

Coco is side eyeing the crap out of my modeling skills

I chose to make the high neck and low back variation with 3/4 length sleeves because I have zero pieces of clothing like that in my closet currently. Overall this is super easy to make and the only time intensive part was sewing in the shelf bra and bra cups in order to have support and go sans bra due to the low back. When I was trying this on before sewing it all together I realized that for some reason the shoulder/armpit seam in the back was falling in front of my natural shoulder/armpit and causing there to be an excess of fabric underneath the armpit area. When I would put my arms down this extra fabric would get stretched to the back and pull around the front creating a bunch of armpit stretch ripples which you can see a little bit in the top picture. This is when I emailed Heather and asked her for tips/suggestions/and my ideas of what was happening. She gave me great advice and I ended up cutting the back piece armscye lower and re-cutting the sleeves to fit. It helped a little bit, but if you went up and looked in that top picture you can still see some stretching and ripples. I think this is mainly due to the low back cut, the breadth of my upper back, and the stretchy quality of the fabric. This fabric had over a 50% stretch and I think if it was a little less stretchy it might not have pulled as much, and the bodysuit would have fit more snug overall. I have plans to make a scoop neck, high back variation so I'm interested to see if that fits better or if these are adjustments I just need to make when working with this pattern. I sewed a size 8 through the bust and the waist and graded up to a 12 through the hips. I think next time, especially when working with fabric that has so much ease I'll grade down to a 6 in the waist because it was a little loose and I was getting some wrinkles when moving around. I like how this turned out and it feels really comfortable. I can see myself wearing this a ton this fall, especially layered with cardigans! I wore it to a bbq this weekend and got a bunch of compliments on the low back, and then a bunch more praise when I said that I made it. Always the best feeling.

I'd never thought I'd say this, but I'm the proud owner of a bodysuit!!!

Fabric: Hunter Green Solid Cotton Spandex Knit - Girl Charlee 
Pattern: Nettie Dress & Bodysuit - Closet Case Files

Life is funny sometimes. You get older, things change, people change, and sometimes at the age of 26 you find yourself wearing an adult sized onesie. It's like being a baby all over again except this time you remember it, not mention much more fashionable! Which is why we're calling it a bodysuit. That makes me think of something sleek, high fashion, and a little femme fatale. The designer of this bodysuit is none other than Heather Lou from Closet Case Files. Heather is the brainchild behind the Bombshell Swimsuit which I made previously this summer. Heather's also really nice and professional. I know this firsthand because I emailed her with some issues I was having and she got back to me ASAP, was helpful, and didn't make me feel like an amateur for having problems. It's scary when you first enter the sewing world and you see people pumping out amazing pieces of clothing with awesome technique. When you get treated like an equal it makes asking questions and chiming in a lot easier.

When this pattern was first released I actually wasn't that interested. But then I thought about things I complain about in my everyday wardrobe: bulky tucked in shirts and weird waist bulge when wearing a shirt tucked into a skirt. The Nettie really fixes all of those things because of how it's constructed and the body conforming nature of a stretchy knit fabric, not to mention the pattern includes variations on front and back neckline and arm lengths making it pretty versatile. If bodysuits still aren't your thing there's a variation for a dress included. This was my first time buying fabric from Girl Charlee and the only thing I didn't like was that you can only buy fabric in whole yards. I ended up getting 2 yards of this even though I only needed about 1 and a quarter, but that's okay because I had a gift card from my sister (thanks, Renee!).

Coco is side eyeing the crap out of my modeling skills

I chose to make the high neck and low back variation with 3/4 length sleeves because I have zero pieces of clothing like that in my closet currently. Overall this is super easy to make and the only time intensive part was sewing in the shelf bra and bra cups in order to have support and go sans bra due to the low back. When I was trying this on before sewing it all together I realized that for some reason the shoulder/armpit seam in the back was falling in front of my natural shoulder/armpit and causing there to be an excess of fabric underneath the armpit area. When I would put my arms down this extra fabric would get stretched to the back and pull around the front creating a bunch of armpit stretch ripples which you can see a little bit in the top picture. This is when I emailed Heather and asked her for tips/suggestions/and my ideas of what was happening. She gave me great advice and I ended up cutting the back piece armscye lower and re-cutting the sleeves to fit. It helped a little bit, but if you went up and looked in that top picture you can still see some stretching and ripples. I think this is mainly due to the low back cut, the breadth of my upper back, and the stretchy quality of the fabric. This fabric had over a 50% stretch and I think if it was a little less stretchy it might not have pulled as much, and the bodysuit would have fit more snug overall. I have plans to make a scoop neck, high back variation so I'm interested to see if that fits better or if these are adjustments I just need to make when working with this pattern. I sewed a size 8 through the bust and the waist and graded up to a 12 through the hips. I think next time, especially when working with fabric that has so much ease I'll grade down to a 6 in the waist because it was a little loose and I was getting some wrinkles when moving around. I like how this turned out and it feels really comfortable. I can see myself wearing this a ton this fall, especially layered with cardigans! I wore it to a bbq this weekend and got a bunch of compliments on the low back, and then a bunch more praise when I said that I made it. Always the best feeling.

Flannel Plaid Grainline Archer

Horrible pictures, I'm trying to get more natural lighting...apparently first thing in the morning is too much lighting

Fabric:  Plaiditudes Collection Brush Cotton Gray & Cream - JoAnn Fabrics

Pattern: Archer Button Up Shirt - Grainline Studios

Another Archer? Quite simply, yes. After making my sleeveless version I knew I wanted to make only about a million more. Not only is it a comfortable well constructed shirt but it's a piece I'll really will wear on a regular basis - cake and not icing as many other sewing bloggers have started to say. I think people love Jen's patterns a lot because they're ready to wear (RTW) basics.

Much better pictures! 

I sewed up a size 4 just like last time; however, I didn't lengthen it by an inch like I did with my sleeveless version. I realized I didn't really need that length, and the extra length was causing the back to be boxy. Surprisingly for this being my second time sewing this shirt I had a number of issues. I had a hard time with all of the pieces cut on the bias. This fabric had a surprising ability to stretch out a bit (you can kind of see how the front placket with the buttons looks a little warped in some spots in the picture on the left) and all of my bias pieces were extremely temperamental. I ended up sewing the pockets on, taking out stitches, repositioning, and resewing a couple times on each side. Then when I was sewing the collar on I realized that my collar was looking very short...turns out I had cut out the wrong size and luckily I had enough fabric to re-cut a new piece. I had already sewed the whole collar on at that point though so I had to unpick it all, and then resew it all together. That took about two episodes of House of Cards. My roommate came to check on me after she woke up from a nap and found me sitting in the exact same position I had been two hours prior and she was able to coax me away from the sewing machine.

Best plaid matching ever! Even the sleeves line up!

I followed Lladybird's tutorial on plaid matching, which made the whole process very simply. The key is to be very careful when cutting out your fabric. After that you really don't have to think about it at all. One thing I want to work on is getting better at sewing buttonholes. My one step buttonhole foot wasn't working, user error may have played a part in why it was working....alas, I had to zigzag each side of the button hole individually and let's just say it's a good thing the button hides most of the hole when the shirt is buttoned. Like all of the skills I've learned this far in life and sewing: practice makes perfect! I'm already envisioning another Archer, this time the alternate version with the back ruffle, in a flowy cream chiffon. What type of Archer would you make?

Horrible pictures, I'm trying to get more natural lighting...apparently first thing in the morning is too much lighting

Fabric:  Plaiditudes Collection Brush Cotton Gray & Cream - JoAnn Fabrics

Pattern: Archer Button Up Shirt - Grainline Studios

Another Archer? Quite simply, yes. After making my sleeveless version I knew I wanted to make only about a million more. Not only is it a comfortable well constructed shirt but it's a piece I'll really will wear on a regular basis - cake and not icing as many other sewing bloggers have started to say. I think people love Jen's patterns a lot because they're ready to wear (RTW) basics.

Much better pictures! 

I sewed up a size 4 just like last time; however, I didn't lengthen it by an inch like I did with my sleeveless version. I realized I didn't really need that length, and the extra length was causing the back to be boxy. Surprisingly for this being my second time sewing this shirt I had a number of issues. I had a hard time with all of the pieces cut on the bias. This fabric had a surprising ability to stretch out a bit (you can kind of see how the front placket with the buttons looks a little warped in some spots in the picture on the left) and all of my bias pieces were extremely temperamental. I ended up sewing the pockets on, taking out stitches, repositioning, and resewing a couple times on each side. Then when I was sewing the collar on I realized that my collar was looking very short...turns out I had cut out the wrong size and luckily I had enough fabric to re-cut a new piece. I had already sewed the whole collar on at that point though so I had to unpick it all, and then resew it all together. That took about two episodes of House of Cards. My roommate came to check on me after she woke up from a nap and found me sitting in the exact same position I had been two hours prior and she was able to coax me away from the sewing machine.

Best plaid matching ever! Even the sleeves line up!

I followed Lladybird's tutorial on plaid matching, which made the whole process very simply. The key is to be very careful when cutting out your fabric. After that you really don't have to think about it at all. One thing I want to work on is getting better at sewing buttonholes. My one step buttonhole foot wasn't working, user error may have played a part in why it was working....alas, I had to zigzag each side of the button hole individually and let's just say it's a good thing the button hides most of the hole when the shirt is buttoned. Like all of the skills I've learned this far in life and sewing: practice makes perfect! I'm already envisioning another Archer, this time the alternate version with the back ruffle, in a flowy cream chiffon. What type of Archer would you make?

Modified Sleeveless Archer Shirt

Fabric: Quilting Cotton - JoAnn Fabrics
Pattern: Archer Button Up Shirt - Grainline Studios

I made my first Archer Button Up over the weekend! Since then I've worn this three times, counting today, and I love it. The original Archer isn't sleeveless, but I really was wanting for a lightweight button up that could transition between work and out on the town. If you remember from my summer wardrobe overhaul post, button ups were on that list.

Can we talk about how good that collar and placket looks? Shameless bragging

 



This is the second pattern I've purchased from Grainline Studio, the first being the Tiny Pocket Tank Pattern which I blogged about here. I really appreciate the attention to detail Jen uses and incorporates into her patterns. I modified this pattern quite a bit. I left off the sleeves, shortened the shoulders, back, and yoke; modified the front plackets into more of a V-neck; and decided on a mandarin collar. My modifications were based off of tutorials that Jen from Grainline Studios posted and Andrea from Four Square Walls shared on their respective blogs. Thanks ladies!

Closeups of the buttons and pockets. Again, i'm going to point out how good my topstitching looks!

I sewed a straight size 4 which I was a little worried about just because I wasn't sure how long the shirt was going to be and I usually size up around my hips. This version fits great, I think I might try and grade down to a size 3 around my natural waist next time and up to a size 5 in the hip area just for a little more ease. I also lengthened the pattern by an inch, which probably wasn't necessary, I just didn't want it to end up being too short the way I felt after sewing the tiny pocket tank. I'm will most likely keep this length for the next version I sew (a fall version with sleeves I already have planned out and can't wait to whip up!).

Major swayback here, but I think I'm too lazy to ever really bother doing a swayback adjustment. 

 

I got through this pattern pretty easily, one day of cutting pieces and doing a little sewing, and then about four hours the next day. The only part I struggled with was the collar, but I finally figured it out after sewing and ripping out stitches a few times. In hindsight I should've made a regular Archer first before trying out a million modifications but who likes things easy anyway?

 

 

I think this might end up being one of the last 'summery' things I make and I'm really glad I got around to it. There was a lot on my list that I wanted to sew this summer and a lot I didn't get around to like shorts and dresses. I do feel like I sewed a ton this summer overall and so I'm really proud of that. I've been gathering fabric and ideas for my fall wardrobe, I feel like I need to start early so I can actually wear these things in season.

Fabric: Quilting Cotton - JoAnn Fabrics
Pattern: Archer Button Up Shirt - Grainline Studios

I made my first Archer Button Up over the weekend! Since then I've worn this three times, counting today, and I love it. The original Archer isn't sleeveless, but I really was wanting for a lightweight button up that could transition between work and out on the town. If you remember from my summer wardrobe overhaul post, button ups were on that list.

Can we talk about how good that collar and placket looks? Shameless bragging

 



This is the second pattern I've purchased from Grainline Studio, the first being the Tiny Pocket Tank Pattern which I blogged about here. I really appreciate the attention to detail Jen uses and incorporates into her patterns. I modified this pattern quite a bit. I left off the sleeves, shortened the shoulders, back, and yoke; modified the front plackets into more of a V-neck; and decided on a mandarin collar. My modifications were based off of tutorials that Jen from Grainline Studios posted and Andrea from Four Square Walls shared on their respective blogs. Thanks ladies!

Closeups of the buttons and pockets. Again, i'm going to point out how good my topstitching looks!

I sewed a straight size 4 which I was a little worried about just because I wasn't sure how long the shirt was going to be and I usually size up around my hips. This version fits great, I think I might try and grade down to a size 3 around my natural waist next time and up to a size 5 in the hip area just for a little more ease. I also lengthened the pattern by an inch, which probably wasn't necessary, I just didn't want it to end up being too short the way I felt after sewing the tiny pocket tank. I'm will most likely keep this length for the next version I sew (a fall version with sleeves I already have planned out and can't wait to whip up!).

Major swayback here, but I think I'm too lazy to ever really bother doing a swayback adjustment. 

 

I got through this pattern pretty easily, one day of cutting pieces and doing a little sewing, and then about four hours the next day. The only part I struggled with was the collar, but I finally figured it out after sewing and ripping out stitches a few times. In hindsight I should've made a regular Archer first before trying out a million modifications but who likes things easy anyway?

 

 

I think this might end up being one of the last 'summery' things I make and I'm really glad I got around to it. There was a lot on my list that I wanted to sew this summer and a lot I didn't get around to like shorts and dresses. I do feel like I sewed a ton this summer overall and so I'm really proud of that. I've been gathering fabric and ideas for my fall wardrobe, I feel like I need to start early so I can actually wear these things in season.

Sewing: Two New Renfrew's

I've been a busy little sewing bee! Here are the last two Renfrew Tops, from Sewaholic Patterns, that I will probably be making for a little while because I've used up all of the fabric I'd purchased to make a bunch of different variations. I've already made a long sleeve scoop neck that I love and a short sleeve scoop neck that I badly modified and used fabric I probably shouldn't have seeing as this pattern calls for stable knits.

  Pretty pleased with how lined up the v part turned out  

 I managed to match the stripes up perfectly!

Let's talk about the v-neck first. It fits perfectly, and the knit fabric i chose is sort of fuzzy on the outside but the inside is silky and feels great against the skin. I realized after I cut my pieces out I should've taken better care with how I cut things out on the stripes, however I think I got lucky this time because I didn't really have a problem with things not matching up. I think I might end up top stitching the seam at the waist and arm bands because the seam keeps rolling over and causing the waistband to stick out a bit. Ironing the seams down didn't really make much of a difference and at the neckband where there is top stitching everything lays nice and smooth. Super pleased.

I'm really happy with this cowl neck too. I made this as a 3/4 length sleeve so it would be cozy for dreary days. This was just as simple as all of the others, even with the cowl neckline. I think it took longer to lay out the fabric and cut all the pieces than the actual sewing. You can sort of see what I was talking about with the waist band seam puffing out in the picture on the right. I might top stitch the waist and arm seams on this shirt too. All in all I've really enjoyed working with this Renfrew pattern. The shirts are simple to sew and come together in no time. I can see myself making many more of these especially the v-neck and scoop neck because they're both really flattering.

I've been a busy little sewing bee! Here are the last two Renfrew Tops, from Sewaholic Patterns, that I will probably be making for a little while because I've used up all of the fabric I'd purchased to make a bunch of different variations. I've already made a long sleeve scoop neck that I love and a short sleeve scoop neck that I badly modified and used fabric I probably shouldn't have seeing as this pattern calls for stable knits.

  Pretty pleased with how lined up the v part turned out  

 I managed to match the stripes up perfectly!

Let's talk about the v-neck first. It fits perfectly, and the knit fabric i chose is sort of fuzzy on the outside but the inside is silky and feels great against the skin. I realized after I cut my pieces out I should've taken better care with how I cut things out on the stripes, however I think I got lucky this time because I didn't really have a problem with things not matching up. I think I might end up top stitching the seam at the waist and arm bands because the seam keeps rolling over and causing the waistband to stick out a bit. Ironing the seams down didn't really make much of a difference and at the neckband where there is top stitching everything lays nice and smooth. Super pleased.

I'm really happy with this cowl neck too. I made this as a 3/4 length sleeve so it would be cozy for dreary days. This was just as simple as all of the others, even with the cowl neckline. I think it took longer to lay out the fabric and cut all the pieces than the actual sewing. You can sort of see what I was talking about with the waist band seam puffing out in the picture on the right. I might top stitch the waist and arm seams on this shirt too. All in all I've really enjoyed working with this Renfrew pattern. The shirts are simple to sew and come together in no time. I can see myself making many more of these especially the v-neck and scoop neck because they're both really flattering.

Sewing: Ruffled, Short Sleeve, Dress Shirt - Renfrew Pattern

So I made another Renfrew top , you can see my first one here, and I'm sad to say I'm not in love with how this one turned out. It's mainly my fault and all things I did wrong which is why I don't like it as much as my first version. Firstly, this pattern calls for stretchy knit fabric, the fabric for this shirt is more of a chiffon/dress shirt material. Now that would've been fine to use still, but I should've cut out my pieces one size up in order to make up for the lack of stretch. Knit fabrics have a lot of stretch and are more accepting of things like chests, and round arms, whereas the chiffon material is not. So this is a little tight over the chest area which then pulls on the neckline and arms when I have it on. Additionally because it was too tight in the arms I opened them up at the armpit area so they're more like cap sleeves instead of full short sleeves. One thing I am pleased with is the fact that I chose to add a pleated neckline instead of just a plain neckline. It's hard to see from the picture in the right, but I think you can make it out a little bit. It made the shirt seem more dressy to me and I wanted to see if I could do it, and I like that I did it that way. I'm not sure how much wear I'll give this shirt, unless I lose a boob or two it's not that comfortable to wear. I might see if a friend wants it instead. I still have two more pieces of (knit!) fabric and two more shirts to make: a 3/4 length v-neck and a long sleeve cowl neck. You sew, you learn.

So I made another Renfrew top , you can see my first one here, and I'm sad to say I'm not in love with how this one turned out. It's mainly my fault and all things I did wrong which is why I don't like it as much as my first version. Firstly, this pattern calls for stretchy knit fabric, the fabric for this shirt is more of a chiffon/dress shirt material. Now that would've been fine to use still, but I should've cut out my pieces one size up in order to make up for the lack of stretch. Knit fabrics have a lot of stretch and are more accepting of things like chests, and round arms, whereas the chiffon material is not. So this is a little tight over the chest area which then pulls on the neckline and arms when I have it on. Additionally because it was too tight in the arms I opened them up at the armpit area so they're more like cap sleeves instead of full short sleeves. One thing I am pleased with is the fact that I chose to add a pleated neckline instead of just a plain neckline. It's hard to see from the picture in the right, but I think you can make it out a little bit. It made the shirt seem more dressy to me and I wanted to see if I could do it, and I like that I did it that way. I'm not sure how much wear I'll give this shirt, unless I lose a boob or two it's not that comfortable to wear. I might see if a friend wants it instead. I still have two more pieces of (knit!) fabric and two more shirts to make: a 3/4 length v-neck and a long sleeve cowl neck. You sew, you learn.

Sewing: Long Sleeved, Scoop Neck Renfrew Top

The Sewaholic Renfrew Pattern - $15.98                          My first me made shirt!

This past summer I had asked for the Renfrew Pattern for my birthday, and I was very happy when I received it from my grandma! This pattern is made buy the same lady who makes the Minoru Jacket Pattern.  When I was home over Christmas we took a trip over to this awesome fabric store in Chicago, Textile Discount Outlet, and got some fabric for me to finally sew some tops. I was having a hard time finding fabric that I liked at my JoAnn's, and I haven't really gotten on board with buying fabric online yet. I like seeing and feeling the fabric first, but I know plenty of people who buy online or off of Etsy. One of the fabrics I bought was this grey sweatshirt cotton that I thought would be as comfy as a sweatshirt but more fitted than a normal sweatshirt is. To see more pictures and find out about how easy this pattern was click the link below.

The Sewaholic Renfrew Pattern - $15.98                          My first me made shirt!

This past summer I had asked for the Renfrew Pattern for my birthday, and I was very happy when I received it from my grandma! This pattern is made buy the same lady who makes the Minoru Jacket Pattern.  When I was home over Christmas we took a trip over to this awesome fabric store in Chicago, Textile Discount Outlet, and got some fabric for me to finally sew some tops. I was having a hard time finding fabric that I liked at my JoAnn's, and I haven't really gotten on board with buying fabric online yet. I like seeing and feeling the fabric first, but I know plenty of people who buy online or off of Etsy. One of the fabrics I bought was this grey sweatshirt cotton that I thought would be as comfy as a sweatshirt but more fitted than a normal sweatshirt is. To see more pictures and find out about how easy this pattern was click the link below.