Flattering Knit Top for Women

Today on the blog tour, I’m excited that my friend Dana from MADE is taking part and reviewing Stitch Savvy!  Dana was one of the very first internet friends I ever made, more than five years ago, and her style and color sense and exceedingly good taste have made her one of the real vanguard in the online sewing community.  I’m so proud and grateful to call her friend, and so excited that she had such lovely things to say about Stitch Savvy!  If you haven’t had a chance to see the projects inside the book yet, her post includes some lovely photos of the pages and highlights some of her favorites.

Once you’ve done that, check out the Knit Top from the Garments section!

This is an alternate fabric for this top, one which didn’t fit into the Garments chapter.  The model (the very, very happy model, as folks have pointed out–the one with the awesome hair) was wearing this blue version:

I chose the blue first–as anyone who shops for fabric with me will cheerfully tell you, if something comes in blue or green, I’m almost certain to get it in those colors.  I don’t think of blue as my favorite color–if you asked me, I’d tell you it was leaf green or Whipstitch yellow–but I sure do own and wear a lot of it.  So when I made this version of the top originally, I fully intended it to end up in my own closet.

I love the V-neck, and the way the easy gathers accent the best parts of a woman’s figure, but downplays the parts that most of us would rather downplay.  Very loosely fitted at the waist, so it’s great for casual wear, but with the pretty neckline, it also looks great under a blazer or with a scarf.

This fabric is a lovely silky jersey that feels amazing on, and the blue is actually teeny tiny circles that overlap one another.  I didn’t he the sleeves or the lower hem, because I like that vaguely bohemian look that comes with letting the jersey roll at the edges the way it does.

This other version is a French import print that I think is really edgy and fun.  It has a little more body than the blue jersey does, which makes the gathers pop even more.

I love that this pattern has an easy raglan sleeve that is both easy to sew and easy to wear–no easing in the sleevecap to get a good fit, but a smooth edge where the seams join.

And I love the clean line of the neckline, but that it also meets the soft gathers at the bustline.  It makes for a flirty feminine top that doesn’t push the line into girly.  It’s a comfortable, flattering knit top for a grown-up.

I’m actually not at all surprised that this has been one of the most popular projects in the book so far.  I know it was one of the very first that I had in my head when I was writing the book, and that I knew for sure belonged there.  So I’m really excited to see that everyone else seems to feel the same way!

Speaking of which, if you’re loving this knit top and wanting to make it but not sure you have the skills and experience, there’s still space in my Sewing Knits e-course that starts in just a couple of weeks!  This is a five-week class that’s really fun–and covers everything from where to get knit fabric and how to find the best stuff online all the way to how to sew a really lovely seam with just your sewing machine.  See more details and register on the Sewing Knits e-course page!

Giant thanks again to Dana for her post in the Stitch Savvy blog tour today!  I would be startled and shocked, honestly, if you told me you weren’t already reading her blog–she is such a brilliant and funny and down-to-earth lady, and has had such a tremendous impact within the online community with her gorgeous photos and really clever projects and ideas.  There is so much about her blog to love, but check out for sure her Rollie Pollie pattern (I’ll be making one of these for our boy’s room when he moves up to his big boy bed) and her Diaper Cover tutorial (we have used this a ZILLION times), and of course the Shirt Dress, which might just be the tutorial that started it all.  She’ll be your new best (online) friend!

Keep checking in on all the Stitch Savvy blog tour posts, and come back right here next week for a giveaway of TWO of the samples from the book PLUS a freebie for everyone!