I didn't sew all the winter clothes that I wanted to sew, but I've cut my losses and moved on to Spring/Summer. Soon there will be so much work in the garden that my sewing time will really suffer, and I desperately need some tops. My first top is Simplicity's 2554 in version B.Simple knit tops won't set the world on fire, but they are the sort of thing I wear 90% of the time, when I am running around the neighbourhood with the kids. So, I intend to sew a handful of them and this pattern has a few different versions which is just what I need.
I intended to sew view B. In the end I cut out view B and almost sewed view B, but with the instructions for three different knit tops all together on the page, I got confused and followed some of the instructions for view C. Once I realised that I had the shoulder ruffles extending further down the sides than was intended, I decided to leave it! I think it looks OK and I didn't want to pick out all the stitches on a thin jersey knit. I'll try to sew version B again in white and do it properly. There is a lot to like about this pattern. It's quick and easy. It doesn't require any notions, so it's cheap. It accents the shoulders and is drape-y. It comes in several variations. The only downside is that it minimizes the bust. I am a small B and that is not welcomed.
Why am I keen on shoulders and drape-y? Well, all the trousers around here are now tight through the thighs and tapered down through the ankles, where they usually bag up a little. I am a pear shape and need a little balance on my top half, especially with jeans and pants in this silhouette. I've held out in boot cut jeans for as long as I can. Now, when I wheel around the grocery store, I definitely feel like I am in "Mom Jeans," and mom jeans that not even the other moms are wearing! Just a quick thought on fabric selection. I used a black bamboo jersey knit from fabric.com which had been in my stash for nearly two years. (Hey, that's a make for the month of March in Helen's stash busting drive!) I always wash my fabrics before sewing them. I am a good girl. Usually this makes the jersey knits roll up terribly, but this knit wasn't bad at all. Perhaps because it is bamboo rather than all cotton? Also, does everyone pre-wash their cotton jersey? Would it be more sensible not to bother because of the rolling?
