Skip to main content

Made By a Fabricista: Trend Attempt


I've wanted one of these side-split tees/tops for a good long while. As the releases were rolled out from the various pattern companies, I was consistently on the fence.

I'm short. I'm fairly rectangular from the front on. Would I really like this style on me??

I saw cute versions on other sewing bloggers and decided, okay, I'm going for it! I was in my local Hancock store and saw new Simplicity patterns (before they were released!) and scooped up Simplicity 8138. I loved the seaming in back and the cut on sleeve.

I managed to miss that there would be a LOT of extra volume in the top -- which the line drawing does indicate! I just didn't pay close enough of attention. 

I chose a size 14 and since I didn't want to add a dart, just graded out a bit through the bust and waist.  I was so excited to get it together, that I didn't think about fabric handling. I'd already assembled the back before I decided French seams may have been a good idea. Oops :)

I used this olive green Poly Crepe Georgette. While I've worked with poly crepe before, I'd never worked with georgette. I was afraid it would be shifty/slippery but it was pretty well behaved. It has a pebbled texture which I think helped.

Because I was on the fence about the style, I didn't want to rip out any seams and decided to just go with pinking. I sewed each seam, pinked it, pressed it open and then pressed it to one side. It's not nearly as time consuming as it sounds.


The crepe is very springy/spongey and handled seam pressing pretty well. For the hems, I had to press and then use a wood block (or clapper if you have one), to get the seams flat. But it DID press nice and flat.


I was impressed with how easy this fabric was to sew. Not too slippery and it didn't get sucked into my machine - yay! 



However, this fabric REFUSED to become bias tape! I decided it was too thick for that anyway and ended up cutting bias strips of fabric (it does not fray on the bias), attached the bias to the neckline, folded it inside, topstitched, and trimmed away the excess. I did okay on my trimming. But the neckline lies flat so that's what counts! 

Now, I was very unhappy with it when I first sewed it up. I did NOT like it. But I realized it was the volume. It looked like I was wearing a giant dress. Not trendy and cute at all! I decided I would remove 5" from each side, tapering to nothing at the waist (yes, 10" total), narrowing the front piece. 

Also, I lowered the side openings 2 inches! EEK!  I'm okay with the amount of skin showing now. I can't even imagine if I hadn't! 


So...trimming the front...I went to my cutting table, laid everything out real nice and neat...trimmed off the fabric and

uh-oh

I'd trimmed the BACK! I had no intention of trimming the back!!! But it turned out okay anyhow. WHEW. 

 

The back is slightly longer than the front. I chopped an extra 2" from the front length to make that a bit more noticeable. Otherwise, I was afraid that it would appear that it was an accident. 

I think I could possibly make this one again in a knit. As it is, this one is easy to get on but requires acrobatics for me to get it off. Part of that is the armholes. While I considered my own placement for the side slit, I just used the pattern markings for where to start sewing the side seams. I could have lowered that about 5/8" for a more comfortable fit.


I wore it to the Beyonce concert this past Monday with jeans and Chucks 

The back was like my own personal cape 
so I tied the front to ensure I didn't flash my mama-belly :-p

I initially planned to wear white skinny jeans and heels. In my infinite wisdom, I changed my mind. The concert was delayed 2 hours due to severe storms and a lightning strike. But once Bey got going...she was as amazing as usual! 

Next month I have a FUN project planned - my birthday dress!

Nakisha



Comments

  1. This is super cute on you! I love the style and am really glad you attempted to make your own. Zara does styles like this. :-)

    The georgette does sound scary! I am about to embark on some for me, and I am crossing my fingers mine looks 1/2 as good as yours does. I will definitely remember to french seam those suckers. LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ive got the same pattern and intend to make it soon. Thanks for the heads up about all the extra volume. Love how yours turned out.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Celebrating warm weather with Spring sewing!

Hi sewing friends! I don’t know about you but boy, was winter cold and dreary this year! The weather here in the Philadelphia area has been slowly improving, but Spring sure did take her sweet old time to arrive. So by April, I was definitely in the headspace of needing to sew up things that were either bright and cheery or meant for the warmer weather I am very much craving right now. I recently purchased a few SewBexx Patterns so I took them on a test run to create some Spring makes. First on my list was to make a top using this absolutely gorgeous ITY fabric I picked up last year. I had two yards which was enough for a long sleeve shirt. I chose the Olivia top, which is oversized with a drop shoulder, has multiple lengths and a split hem. I think the pattern is intended for heavier fabrics but I was envisioning how lovely this top would look with the drape of ITY knit fabric, and it did not disappoint. It came together for me quickly and was a straight forward sew…and I love the br...

Made By A Fabricista | Chasing Time: My White Rabbit-Inspired Look for Atlanta Frocktails

For this year’s Atlanta Frocktails, I found myself captivated by a character who’s been quietly tugging at my imagination for years—the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. There’s something so relatable about his frantic energy, always checking the time, always running late. While he’s worried about being on time, I’m usually calculating how late I can be and still technically arrive on time. Spoiler: I’m often wrong. It’s a cycle of procrastination and anxiety that I know all too well. So when I imagined my look for Frocktails, I thought—why not honor the White Rabbit? After all, time has been chasing me too. But this look isn’t just about Wonderland whimsy. It’s also deeply inspired by this year’s Met Gala theme, Tailored for You, which includes a focus on Black Dandyism—a celebration of Black elegance, intellect, and expressive style. I’ve been obsessed with this theme since it was announced. As a Black creative, I find it powerful and moving to see style used as a way to reclaim...

Made By A Fabricista: Getting into the Spirit of Summer

I'm not gonna lie y'all, I had a completely different project I wanted to do, but that's gonna take more time, and I wanted something cute, comfy and fun to wear for my birthday on the 19th. When I saw this goldenrod & off white linen jacquard , I thought it looked a bit like the design on a Koroks body, especially Makar from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker! I started with the bodice from the free Elderberry dress pattern from Mood, but deviated for the skirt, it felt a little plain of a design, and I had scraps of a Korok fabric that I knew would be a nice accent with some cut out pockets. I've made these pockets once before, deciding the cut out was based on aligning with the seam on the bodice for how far in, and as for how low depended on where I wanted the pouch of the pocket to start. From there I cut the visible part of the pocket, making sure to match the curve of the waist and following the line of the side seams of the skirt, as well as cutting a facing to...