Carey Top

I fell in love with this beautiful printed rayon on my first trip to The Fabric Shop in Otara.  On my last visit,  I finally decided to buy some, not really having a pattern in mind, I figured I could always revert to the tried and tested Bellbird Top, of which I have made a couple.

However when I was  downloading the Uvita Top pattern from Itch to Stitch, I came across the Carey top pattern and thought that this looked like something I'd wear. It can  be made in either a woven or a knit fabric.

Itch to Stitch patterns always give very clear detailed instructions, and illustrations which make them it easy to follow.  (actually I have found this with a lot of indie patterns, they assume you are not a sewing expert, so explain things really well) .This pattern also gave different options for hemming the shirt, depending on what type of machine you were using.

This was the first time I have sewn with rayon, and it has been a bit of a learning curve for me.  I have learnt that spray starch and the iron are my friends, as are lots of pins. I over edged all the pattern pieces before I started sewing them.  For the contrast panel in the sleeve, I used remnants of chambray voile leftover from my Sorbetto Top.  Sewing this top has taken me a little longer than usual, however I figured that  slowly working away on this, sewing a couple of seams at a time,  carefully pressing after each one, then pinning the next seams well, would give me a top I enjoyed wearing.

Making the ties was probably the fiddliest part (the hem was a close second),  you can use ready made cording, but I couldn't be bothered driving to Spotlight to find any. I like the look of ties that match the shirt not the contrast panel too.

Overall, I am really pleased with how it turned out. It is possibly a little more snug over the hips than I thought it would be, so I may need to try grading my pattern next time. ( I made this in a size 2).  Despite knowing that this shirt  will need to be ironed everytime I wear it, I know it will be worn a lot over summer.

**Photos of me taken by The Scout**