pattern testing: Lou Box Top

i love testing patterns. It makes me feel like I'm part of the in crowd and like somebody out there in sewing world sees me. All my friends and family know i tear up the sewing machine like nonstop
(and most of them have benefited from the obsession), but out there, in #sewcialists land, do you know me??***

So when Beth picked me as a tester for her super clean super simple "the modern simple top i've been looking for" Lou Box Top, i was hella stoked. I've made a bunch of Scout Tees, but they always needed after-the-fact adjustments, and just didn't feel very feminine. (Beth hasn't released the pattern yet, but hang tight! It's a goodie!)

I chose some silk i bought at Stonemountain a couple years ago one day i played sewing hooky (ahh the days before 85 kids counted on me every day). Silk is a PAIN IN THE ASS

Even with starch. So much starch. I use this stuff in the huge bottle. (omg that link! who knew Mary Ellen was so prolific in her efforts to make ironing less odious?)

The wovens version includes a button tab back, just to be pretty. (I think this button was harvested from one of my mom's awesome 80s dresses. HOT.)
 
very swingy. I used french seams everywhere, and navy silk crepe binding. I forgot to clip my curves (even though the directions said to do it) and so the neck sticks up a little! DAMN.

Anyway, isn't it cute? can be made knit or woven, and so simple either way. I bet a simpler fabric would take about an hour top to bottom.

Til I take that on, I'll keep it classy in my silks.

What are you wearing? Are you famous about it?

luv
bex

*** welllll, the ladies at the fabric store saw a stack of my in-process undies yesterday, that was fun. :)

make it perfect: Shearwater Caftan

good shirt. i wear it all the time. 

 kinda tight in the armscye...but i don't always notice so maybe it's great.

 i never use the sleeve tabs.

 the fabric is this stuff

 WHO DOESN'T LOVE MOTHS?!?!?

 somehow it has a bit of shaping though it has no darts or anything.

 don't I have freaky fingers? also dirty hair, in these pics :)

 "no no like this!"

Anyway, make your own if you like to not get sunburned and stay cool. make sure your fabric is breathey.

xo 4e
bex

Sinbad & Sailor Dove tee

Today is woven tee day. 

I have made a couple of Grainline patterns' Scout tees, but am always doing something fiddly to bring in the back (CB seam, sneaky darts, etc). Full bust with a flowy shirt back combine to make me look like a teepee- not so flattering! So i bought I'd try out the Dove "fitted" tee from new kids (??) Sinbad & Sailor. I love the saucy back slit too. 

Here's my super scrap-busting version with plaid shirting, linen, and lace. No attempt at pattern matching due to fabric limits (make do and make).

Everything fit together like a dream! If it weren't a "muslin" I'd definitely French all the seams and might also set the sleeves flat. As it was, my machine bunched the lace of the arm heads just enough that I didn't have to fit them. Woo. 

Chucked the facing for a bias bound neckline, and I'd do that again too because I find facings are always flopping about and yuck.

I'll try it on in the mornin to suss the fit. In the meanwhile- have you tried this puppy? Were you as impressed as I am?

UPDATE: the fit was TERRIBLE. You can see that it's very wide and squat - that didn't work for me. I took in the side seams about 1/2-1" on each side, then let out the hem. 

It seems like the back slit is a way to make the shirt work in a fabric that doesn't move- and because it goes so high it's really revealing. I may add a button or two around the top of the slit to keep the top in place. a windy breeze almost revealed my whole torso without it! 

Finally, the armholes are really tight. I'll adjust that if I take this on again. Which I will probably do because the bust fits really nicely and I am a glutton for punishment/complicated projects with low payoff. 

Tell me- did you fix these things already? Or could you tell before I could that this top was a no-go?

Xoxo r