Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Battle of the Tops

Happy first Friday of a new month March!  I am excited to return with 2 new makes that I have been wanting to add to my closet.  Even though I didn’t make half the garments I had in the queue for February, I am truly proud of the pieces I created.  Since I became an ambassador for Husqvarna Viking, I have been dreading learning buttonholes on my new machines.  After mastering it right when the pandemic hit on my Brother sewing machine, I took a hiatus, and then fear set in.   Over the Christmas break, I decided to tackle my fears and watch videos on YouTube and practice. I was in shock at how easy it is to create a buttonhole.  The machine is basically 2 simple steps: plug, align, and snap the foot on.  

Carrot/Raspberry 100% Linen Yarn-Dyed Shirt-Weight Woven 58W - SKU: UKD7483r

I made a commitment to myself in 2022 that I will attempt to do at least 1 buttonhole garment a month, learn and master 1 new sewing skill and write at least 1 blog post per month.  In February, I exceeded my own expectations and created 4 garments with buttons. Last summer I created New Look 6698 with a rayon fabric I had in my stash for a while from Fabric Mart here. 

I fell in love with the pattern then and knew I would create more versions in cotton and linen.  Even though I did not add the buttons to my first version, the sleeve drama and the darts on this pattern caught my attention.  

I wanted to master collar tops and decided to use an easy pattern with no yoke and with less than 5 buttons.  I made no modifications to the pattern and plan to add a 4th button to it. This top is a winner because it is very flattering and can be made using several fabric types.

My 2nd button top is also a quick and easy sew New Look pattern (N6678) which is very flattering on my body type.

I am now drawn to NEW LOOK patterns because of the perfect fit right out of the pattern envelope. I completed it in less than 3 hours before adding the buttonholes.  I am amazed by the fit and darts both in the front and the back. It has facing which makes it easy to sew and I believe that a beginner who wants to try buttonholes can handle this project.  This is my second version of this top and you only need a yard and a half of fabric to create it if no pattern matching is involved.

Heathered Tropical Sea 100% Linen Yarn-Dyed Shirt-Weight Woven 58W - SKU: UFA7486r

Hands down both patterns are amazing in linen, rayon, and cotton and get a thumbs up.  I am adding New Look 6698 to one of my favorites and will add another version by Spring. Both tops are perfect for Spring/Summer and the linen versions are perfect for our warmer days here in Miami.


Thank you so much for reading and let me know which one is your favorite version.  Don’t forget to stop by my blog and check out my latest post.  Have a great month of March!!

One Love,

MARICA  @heymaricamitchell

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!

You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following category LINEN.

💡 Did you know? ðŸ’¡
A good portion of Fabric Mart's linens are reorderable!
This means that even if the color you're looking for is currently unavailable, it should come back in stock soon!

Comments

  1. Nice colors on you, and terrific pattern choices. So glad you discovered that buttonholes are easy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love your beautiful tops! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a great fit and the linen colors are beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  4. You look so pretty in both tops. Love those colors!

    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: Liberty Snow Day

Hi everyone! While we’ve been blanketed with snow out here in Southeastern PA, I decided to conquer my fear of button holes and make NewLook pattern N6749. I was able to snag a few yards of the Jess + Jean print Liberty of London Tana Lawn for it. It’s always exciting when Fabric Mart is able to get Liberty fabrics in! I always make sure to grab some.  Cutting into a beautiful piece of tana lawn is scary every time. The fabric is such good quality, I’m afraid to mess it up! I had to be extra careful as this is also the first directional pattern I’ve worked with. But one of my assistants made sure all of my pieces were laid correctly. Something I wanted to try out with this dress was finishing the inside seams using the overlock stitch on my domestic machine. Normally I would french seam, but it was nice to not have to worry about cutting seam allowance in half, sewing, trimming, flipping, and sewing again. Next time I would cut the seam allowance back before overlocking, but I thin...

Made By A Fabricista: Embracing Winter in Wool Boucle

As winter drags on, the cold weather is such a bummer to me and feeling uncomfortable and cold so often is rough. Meanwhile, I listened to a podcast all about how people in very northern countries deal better with the onset of dark, freezing winter with a radically different mindset of embracing the inevitable season by reframing the chill as refreshing and the opportunity to spend most time indoors as cozy. I can do that!  I found a gorgeous, quintessential wool boucle suiting in black and white to make myself a luxurious outer layer while I’m outside attempting to embrace the sting of dry winter air… It’s kind of working. So classic, so chic! Wearing boucle is always an uptown move and I certainly do feel sophisticated in it. This black and white houndstooth combination feels especially Old Hollywood, and what a treat to make something with this!  I sewed the Daphne Jacket from Vivian Shao Chen. There are no closures, and the shape is boxy and very easy to wear over multipl...

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing + Running

It’s not every day that I get to mix two of my favorite hobbies. Especially when one hobby is sewing and the other is running. You can’t sew and run at the same time, but, you can go running in something that you sewed! With this realization, I embarked on my first hobby-merging adventure.  We’ve had some frigid temperatures in Pennsylvania this winter. Since I’m an outside, stroller-pushing runner, I bundle up my son and myself before I hit the road. The temperature feels 20 degrees warmer for outside runners than the outside air. For the children being pushed in the stroller though, it feels about 20 degrees colder.  With these differences in temperature for each of us, layering is the only thing that ensures that we both stay perfectly warm. My running wardrobe has been lacking a warm top layer. My son’s wardrobe would also benefit from having another warm layer, so I knew pullovers were what I should make.  Inspired by a name-brand ¼ button-down fleece pullover I saw,...