So here is the very first make that I’m sharing on my blog.
I’m excited and nervous in equal measures to be sharing my makes with you, so please be kind when passing judgement.
As Autumn is definitely upon us, (with winter close on it’s heels) I was yearning for some colour in my life to brighten up the dull days. I’ve also found that since embracing my grey hair, I need more colourful outfits otherwise I tend to just look a little dull.
The Art Gallery range of fabrics are so cheerful, I thought they would lend themselves very nicely to a couple of jersey tops I wanted to create (in a Joe Browns type of style.) This style also meant that I would only need to buy a small amount of the Art Gallery fabric, which despite being totally gorgeous is more pricey than plain jersey and that then makes it a more affordable garment for everyday wear.
I chose a Marcy Tilton Vogue pattern (V9057) as it was a nice loose fit over the tummy, (an important consideration when trying to disguise a spare tyre) and the points in the hemline, added a little more interest on my lap than a standard flat hemline. You have to think about these things when you are in a wheel chair! I love this pattern and opted for view D (with the wider neck band).
For my first make I chose to use the gorgeous Lunar fabric from the Coastline range by Sharon Holland and teamed it with a navy interlock fabric from my stash. Art Gallery jerseys really are such good quality fabrics and they are lovely and soft to wear.
The pattern was really easy to follow and I adapted the instructions slightly, so that I could sew everything using my overlock machine. I much prefer inserting sleeves flat and then sewing up the side seams. (You could easily use this method when using a normal sewing machine too). Obviously, this method only really works for this style of knit sleeve and not a gathered or eased woven sleeve. I then finished off all the hems with my coverstitch machine, (again you could just use a double-needle in an ordinary sewing machine).
The Art Gallery fabric was a joy to work with and I didn’t have any issues with combining it with the heavier weight interlock jersey.
Overall I’m very happy with this top, I think next time I make it, I will shorten the shoulders as they seem a little long.
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