Shawl collar crossover top

[kaitlinnegan]

I made this top yesterday afternoon and evening, from cutting to hemming -- a very quick sew! It was fun and easy to make (trust me, the crossover shawl collar thingy just *looks* complicated), and I highly recommend the pattern. It's view C from Vogue 7799. Here come the pictures:

V7799-C-Front.JPG (114.07 KB) Viewed 6086 times

V7799-C back.JPG (55.08 KB) Viewed 6086 times

V7799-C side.JPG (52.19 KB) Viewed 6089 times

The fabric is a teal (darker than it appears in the photos) cotton-lycra knit with 2 way stretch (definitely required for this pattern) from the Denver Fabrics website pre-liquidation.

I had made the funnel neck version from this pattern about a month ago, and found a few fitting adjustments were in order. I narrowed the shoulders by 5/8" and narrowed the waist by about 1/2" on each side. I haven't quite mastered the fit on this pattern. The sleeve cap doesn't really fit smoothly, especially in the back - I probably need to do a bit of research on shoulder alterations. Any suggestions? There are also some wrinkles at the back waist. Someone on Patternreview.com suggested this might be because the hips are a tad tight - I was wearing it over baggy, semi-high waisted jeans for these pictures and the hip area was a bit tight. But today I wore it over slimmer fitting jeans - the hip area definitely seems loose enough in the front, but it does seem to cling more in the back and there is still some wrinkling in the back waist. I wonder if a sway back adjustment is what would fix it? The pattern seems amenable to center back seam. I'm not overly concerned about the fitting issues for this top - I'm definitely still going to enjoy wearing it.

Here's a more detailed review on patternreview.com: Vogue 7799 ala Kaitlinnegan. There are quite a few other reviews, and it's fun to look at how it looks in different fabrics and on different people.

So, let me know what you think!

[fabric_addict]

I think that looks cute on you. Great color.

I really can't comment on the alterations, but I'm curious to hear what others have to say about shoulder seams. I did run across this site http://www.fashion-incubator.com/mt/archives/sleeve_drafting_tutorial.html, but I don't know how helpful it really is since I haven't yet tried it.

[MartySews2]

Cute top. I really like the way it looks on you. The color is great. When one adjusts the shoulder length, then the sleeve cap needs to be adjusted too. I'd have to research some of my fitting or pattern making books to find the exact instructions. The wrinkles in the back could be from the upper back needing a little more room.
Marty

[Glennssister]

You look great in that top. Nice work!!

[Sewing Lady]

I think that the top looks wonderful and the you did a great job and in such a short time too. . Now there is still time to make something else.


Leighanna

[DorothyL]

It looks great. I love that color -- especially a little darker.

[lendube]

Great job! Looks cozy for those cold days ahead.

[kaitlinnegan]

Thanks everyone! I feel like I've gotten over some kind of hump in the last couple of months -- in general, the "easy" projects are actually easy. (knock on wood!) Next in my SWAP wardrobe is a pair of pants..but I think they will be put on hold for a little bit as I have a couple other projects in line.

[bridesmom]

Kaitlin, I have two books that I"d recommend for you for tips on adjusting patterns. One is 'Fast Fit' by Sandra Betzina, the other is Vogue Sewing which I picked up from Crafter's Choice Book Club. It talks about the shoulder and if you have to adjust the shoulder then you need to also adjust the sleeve cap and how to do it. I've found both books very helpful when I make something that pulls here or wrinkles there and I am not just quite sure what to do to fix it. I think you may be a bit like me, I have a narrow sloping shoulder, so I need to use a size smaller at the shoulder and also take in a larger seam at the shoulder joint. The best tip I ever got was from a Threads magazine. You need Bob or a good friend to help. Put some large pieces of newsprint or paper on the wall. Wearing a snug top (or just your bra) have your buddy trace your upper body from your neck down to your waist, over the shoulders, then under the arms. Mark the middle of your tracing, then when you use a pattern for a top, you can lay it overtop of your tracing, and you see exactly where you need to adjust your pattern in the shoulder.

PS. I like the top on you, the neck is really neat.

[pucktricks]

It looks awesome!

Ticia