sleeveless tova

This is my second time sewing the Wiksten Tova, the first, which I'm realizing now, I never actually blogged about (but if you want to check it out, it's over here). It's a fantastic pattern and overall, a pretty quick and simple project to sew up. I had finished this sleeveless version about a month ago, but didn't get around to taking pictures until a couple of weeks ago. And then, well, I got side-tracked and blah blah blah... So anyways, here it is.

 

I used an off-white, light-weight fabric I bought at a fill-a-bag event put on by Our Social Fabric (I had also meant to do a post about this not-for-profit organization whose goal is to keep fabrics out of landfills, but I never did get around to it. If you're interested, Tasia of Sewaholic did a great post about it over here.) I thought it was cotton at first, but it doesn't seem to wrinkle very much so I'm now thinking it's a blend of some sort (I haven't ventured into any burn-tests to figure that out though). Anyways, it cost next to nothing and has the subtle stripes throughout it so I thought it would make a sweet tunic top. Although I made this Tova in the dress length, the sheerness of the fabric pretty much limits me to wearing it as a tunic over leggings or skinnies and a tank, which is pretty much my daily 'uniform' anyways :)

 

The overall construction of this dress/tunic was very simple, especially having left off the sleeves which aren't all that difficult, but a bit finicky with the gathering and all. To finish the arm holes in this version, I  just used the bias binding technique from the Wikstan Tank pattern which worked perfectly well. The trickiest part of the body is the front yoke which, again, isn't all that difficult if you just sew slowly and carefully when working around the corners. 

 

I made this in the size large (same as my flannel Tova) and didn't do any adjustments to the pattern other than omitting the sleeves. I love how it fits and looks from the front, but am still having issues with the back which is looking pretty 'tenty' (I didn't manage to get a picture of the back yet but trust me, it's not very flattering). I'm thinking I need to add some darts or cinching or something. 

Anyways, I've been wanting to learn more about tailoring and pattern alterations, so I decided to sign up for this pattern fitting course through Craftsy. (They lured me in with the 'we miss you' super promo deal so I actually also signed up for this 'pattern drafting from ready-to-wear' course which I'm pretty excited about!) I also took out this book from the library which I haven't had a chance to really read through yet, but has a nice section on adjusting patterns to your body type. If anyone knows of any other good books or resources for altering patterns or tailoring, please share! I have heard that this Palmer/Pletsch book is great, but I haven't gotten my hands on it yet. 

melissa x

kcwc days 3/4/5 - Ayashe Blouse

Ooh! I'm so in love with this blouse!

A few months ago, Shelly and Daniela of Figgy's Patterns/blog hosted a sew-along for this blouse, one of their debut patterns. I was all psyched up to join in but then life got in the way and I didn't end up sewing along. So, the first thing I thought when I signed up for this Spring's KCWC was that I would make this blouse, and I'm so glad I did!

I've used a few of Shelly's patterns before and really do love them. This blouse has such beautiful details like the front bodice top-stitching and the gentle gathers on the yoke. I would actually love to make a blouse like this for myself! (Shelly & Daniela, if, by chance, you're reading this, please make an adult version of this pattern!). Here are the details:

Pattern - Ayashe Blouse from Figgy's Patterns, size 4/5. I made the short sleeve option with the mandarin collar, and left the bottom hem straight without the elastic or drawstring.

Fabric - AMH Little Folks Voile, Little Honey in Gold. 7/8 yard (with some to spare)

General Thoughts - Again, I love how this blouse turned out mostly because of the sweet little details that make it so professional looking. The pattern instructions were good although I did get stuck putting in the yoke facing. I was going on very little sleep that day and was determined to put in my hour of sewing. Luckily, I remembered the sew-along and went to check there for extra tips. Got it all figured out the next day after a good night's sleep (it actually wasn't hard at all, my brain just wasn't working that night). I also made the size 4/5 for my big (just turned) 3 year old, and it fits well with room to grow in the body. However, the neck hole for the 4/5 size was too small and I couldn't get it over my daughter's big beautiful head :). So I just picked out a few stitches more (about an inch) down the front seam and tack stitched the bottom of the opening to secure it. The collar was easy to sew in although I had to adjust the length a bit to fit nicely. The sleeves were also pretty easy to sew in (I usually hate fitting in sleeves), but I still have to figure out how I want to finish those seams (I did french seams for the rest of the blouse but couldn't do that when joining the sleeves. I'm thinking of finishing this with bias tape so the inside of the blouse stays all neat and tidy.) 

Overall, I really enjoyed making this blouse and will definitely be making more very soon!