More Simple Shapes

We're approaching Christmas - help!

By this time of year I always feel like I'm going nuts - work projects are accelerating to try to wrap up in the calendar year, the kids have a million special end-of-year concerts and events on at and after school, and then there's the scramble to try catch up with lots of different circles of friends in the last few weekends before Christmas.  Oh wait on, we have to think about Christmas presents for the extended family too, right? So while I have a super long queue of new sewing patterns I'm aching to try out, frankly there isn't enough capacity left in my brain for anything complex.

At the other end of the scale to complex, we have simple. I reckon this is THE archetype of simple tops: front piece, back piece; no facings, and no darts.

A ridiculously easy top to make from scuba knit fabric

The shape may look familiar from a few months back on this blog - it's yet another of my "simple shapes" tops! 

I wore this top last week on the day Emma, Steph, Kristy and I met up for lunch - I'd finished it the night before, and I'd been thinking I might be able to twist someone's arm into taking photos for me, but when we met up I found I didn't want to waste any of our catchup time on photos. And so these awkward photos happened instead at the end of the day, on my way home from work.  I haven't taken blog photos outside in ages - you can probably see how nervous I was feeling!  Obviously the sunlight was very bright that afternoon, and all the photos I took were a bit blown out - but the fabric colour is spot on and I think you can still get a feel for both the fabric and the shape of the top...

Back view, boxy scuba knit top

Oh dear, I didn't realise my skirt was twisted around! There is no centre back seam on that skirt...


Fabric

I picked up this cheap scuba knit fabric in Spotlight a few months ago when they had a crazy pattern sale on. The colour is terrific BUT the fabric pilled substantially on the side where my handbag moved against it within an hour of my putting the top on for the day. And that was on its inaugural wear too - very disappointing!  I'm glad I didn't try to make something special from the fabric, and I'm really glad I only bought a metre of the stuff!

Close up, self-drafted boxy top in scuna knit fabric

Pattern 

No purchased pattern; of course not - it's such a basic shape!

Of course it does take a bit of effort to draw a simple pattern shape the way you like it, and no doubt it would take even more effort if you were fussy :P.  But if you want a simple knit top like this for yourself and you're not too fussy, it is very easy to draw up a 'pattern' for one - just make sure you measure yourself first!


Fitting

Here's a photo that shows you the shape of this top as compared to one of my earlier attempts - you can see the main change I made was to the slope of the shoulders, though I also raised the neckline and lengthened the top.

Adjusting the shoulder line on my boxy top

I made this change to the shoulders after doing a bit more retail research into the shape I liked, backed up with simple logic. I wanted the fabric to fold deeply on itself at the underarm area, and make a smooth slight downward curve from my shoulder. My original 'pattern' had sharply angled shoulder seams, and these made for folds in the shoulder area when I raised my arms - but when my arms were by my sides there were only small folds under my arms. For more exaggerated underarm folds (doesn't this sound ridiculous when analysed!) I needed more room in the shoulders - more of a natural shoulder line, as this would make for more slack from shoulder to underarm.



The following photo adds nothing; it's here purely for light relief. Note my wry smile as I gently hold the bus in the air by its wheel rim - with no perceivable effort!

How to lift a bus by its wheel rim, while wearing homemade clothes

The verdict? Although it's very basic, this simple boxy top, with shoulders curved downwards, and creases where the sleeve shape folds, is is exactly what I was after. I do realise I was originally planning to make the final 'pattern' into a brocade top, but now that I'm happy with the pattern that aim is feeling less important. I guess enjoying the journey was enough...

See you soon

- Gabrielle x