Even though I have prepared to spend weeks with my winter coat, it is nice to have side projects that are quick to make from start to finish. I found this lovely linen jersey at the factory remnants and couldn’t resist buying it. I am just completely hooked into all kinds of stripes. There was just enough for me to make a long sleeved top.
Originally I was thinking of making a Mandy top by Tessuti patterns. It’s a free pattern and it comes in four different sizes. However, I already had the one-size option that Tessuti had before the current version that I had previously scaled down into my size. I have used it once before, so I thought it easy to just cut the same top once more. Not that easy! Yeah. It was quick to sew up, but when I tried it on, my arms didn’t fit through the sleeves! At that point, I realized that my original top had been made of a flimsy and stretchy knit and that my linen jersey didn’t stretch at all! Besides, the boxy shape didn’t really suit the linen that didn’t have much drape at all.
Well, I ripped the sleeves off and got my Sew Over It Edie top pattern that I had used just a little while ago. Edie top was a little longer but it didn’t matter that much. I was able to save the neckline from the Mandy top, which was a small comfort. I decided to add a little twist to my new Edie and add slits to both side seams.
The linen jersey fabric really didn’t stretch much at all, so I had to sew the top by using minimal seam allowances. As I was finishing the top I realized that I had cotton twill tape that matched exactly the off-white stripes of the jersey. So, I decided to decorate the slits with folded twill tape. I also made a little tab to the cuff of the right sleeve and added a little snap button to decorate it. I think that these little details really make this top interesting.
Here is the same top from the back:
Despite this linen jersey top almost failing, I am finally very happy how it turned up. I particularly like the little details I came up with the twill tape. I think I will try something similar also in the future to add some personality to basic jersey tops.
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Katja
