My fondness (obsession?) with the summertime blues continues. You’d think I’d hit the reset button at some point and vary my wardrobe pallet a bit, wouldn’t you? Hey, I hear you, but the fact is, I just can’t help myself!
My thursday tee shows off my obsession. It includes several shades of blue; cobalt, navy, royal. Three blues in one top! Could I be happier? You wouldn’t think so, but guess what? This tee is color blocked as well…Nirvana!
This pattern is Vogue 8817, a top designed by Katherine Tilton.
I’ve used this pattern before. The Tilton sisters love to mix things up, so this pattern offers the opportunity to use several fabrics of contrasting colors or prints, and the back of the envelope includes yardage requirements for a variety of mix and match options, making life easier.The contrast pieces require as little as 3/8 a yard of fabric, which makes this pattern a stash buster. You can use up those tiny remnants in your stash that you couldn’t bear to toss out! Gotta love that….
I used cotton jersey for the bodice of the tunic, a mesh knit for the yoke, and jersey for the sleeve bands and yoke band. I’d tell you where I purchased the fabric if I could remember, but, hey, it’s all from my stash.
For me, the best part of this ‘sew’ was mixing and matching to create the contrasts that make this design unique. I used royal blue, navy blue and black on the sleeves, and black for the yoke band. Yes, I am burning through my stash and it feels so good!!
Although the Tilton sisters (Marci and Katherine) design loose fitting patterns that an amazon could wear (they’re both tall and skinny, wouldn’t you know?), I’ve found that, with a few minor adjustments, their designs can work for a shrimp (5′ 3”) like me. For this top, I adjusted the pattern as follows:
- I reduced the width of the back by 5/8”. (My frame is small and my back is narrow.)
- I reduced the bodice side seam dimensions by 5/8” (The patterns are usually designed for a loose fit, so there’s a bit too much in the bodice for my smallish frame).
Once I made those adjustments, the pattern was super easy to put together – no zipper is required since it’s a pullover and the neck is stretchy. The yoke is fitted, which makes the shape of the top reminiscent of the fit and flare trend. It’s a nice look on anyone’s shape.
This pattern is becoming a favorite. It’s a basic tee that’s easy to embellish, so you can put your own unique spin on it. What are your favorite stash-busting patterns? What do you do with your remnants? I’d love some ideas, as well, I have (ahem) a few in my stash.
This is me, contemplating remnants.Thanks for stopping by!
