Finding favouites

Hi there!  Hope you’re enjoying the spring sunshine which finally seems to have arrived in the UK; my pasty skin is reeling in shock at so much brightness!

I don’t know about you, but there are times when my sew jo ebbs and flows.  I wrote about how my Nancy dress was just what I needed after a rather complicated previous project (which will be on the Minerva Crafts Blogger Network next week).  It did help, but at the same time, it wasn’t quite enough.  I needed that quick make satisfaction.

Obviously I reached for some jersey at this point.  Now that I’m getting more confident with my overlocker, jersey is even more of a speedy solution to any flagging sew jo.  I decided that a few new tops would freshen up my wardrobe and leave me ready for some more complex work again.

First up, I reached for my trusty Tilly and the Buttons Agnes pattern.  I think I could just about make this in my sleep now and I still love it.  With only 4 pattern pieces, what’s not to love?  I made one up in a black, lightweight jersey heavily printed with glittery, gold feathers (I know, mature, right?).  I picked the fabric up at Dots and Stripes’ stall at the Knitting and Stitching show in November.

At this point, there’s not a huge amount to say about this pattern, but hey, it’s a winner!

I then decided to try out a new (to me) pattern, the Gable top by Jennifer Lauren Handmade.  This pattern has been around quite a while now and I’ve loved various versions I’ve seen.  In partiular, I like the high neckline, much more my preference than the scoop on the Agnes top.

I decided to make life slightly more challenging by picking some stripy jersey from Sew Essential and determining to match the stripes.  I picked this up when the Moneta Party was on and there was a discount, and I’m really impressed with the quality; I can see me buying more in different colours.

Not only did I manage to match the stripes all the way up both side seams AND down the sleeves, I sewed all of this up on the overlocker! Cue much smugness and random posting of my armpit on Instagram!

This pattern is a real beauty; even first time of making, it came together in well under an hour, and that includes using twice as many pins as usual to match every stripe.  The first time you make it, it has you almost finish the top before finishing the neckline off to make sure it sits exactly as you like.

Semi-miraculously, I didn’t need to bring the neckline in at all to hide my bra straps, which is almost unheard of for me.  You try the top on and then fold the neckline under as much as you personally prefer.

The pattern comes with a full length sleeve, a short sleeve and a two-part sleeve, allowing you to have a contrast lower arm.  I wanted to get a 3/4 length sleeve, so just used the top piece of the two part sleeve, which worked out really well.

So well in fact that I cut out and sewed another one the next evening!  Also a stripe, this one is a slightly heavier ponte and it does feel more fitted.  The joy of jersey, I guess; every time you make a pattern it could turn out differently.

So I have found another favourite pattern here to make quick and easy jersey tops.  I already have at least 3 more pieces of jersey mentally assigned to this (although sadly, my precious Miss Matatabi penguin stripes turned out to be too narrow to fit everything on, which did cause some disappointment).

All of which leaves me one step nearer being in the mood to start something more complicated!

How about you, do you have a favourite jersey top pattern?

Becca x