FO: Prickly Gable Top

 

High on the success of my Cielo and Fiore sewing adventures, I decided to revisit a pattern I'd tried and failed at making about a year ago. I tried to get back into sewing clothes by tackling the Gable Top by Jennifer Lauren Handmade. A simple t-shirt seamed just the ticket for an easy and quick make, so I traced off a 20/22 size according to my bust measurement  (this was kind of an exercise in body positivity because I had gained 40 lbs in just a few months and I was very depressed about it - I just measured and tried to ignore the number and make it up without judgement). I traced the pattern and cut it out in this cactus cotton jersey I picked up in the clearance section of Hobby Lobby for a few dollar per yard and started sewing. It turned out HUGE in the shoulders - like over an inch too wide on each side - yet the tummy area was too snug for me to want to wear it. I tried to take in the shoulders, but it just distorted the shape with each change I made. I tried to alter it, but it just wasn't working, so I chucked it to the side and stopped trying to sew. Now that I've lost that excess weight and feel better in my body, and with the success of my other makes, I decided to retrace this pattern in the correct size and make it work. This is the wearable muslin from that :)

So this is the Gable Top :) I seriously love all of Jennifer Lauren's patterns. I've been a pattern tester for her in the past and I just love her simple but vintage style design. They are just exactly my aesthetic. This pattern is a 50s style slash neck t-shirt with a fitted body and several sleeve options. The pattern is only 3 pieces and it tells how to get the right neckline height and stabilize the shoulders so they don't stretch out. I went with 3/4-ish length sleeves - this was the longest I could get with the fabric I had left after the previous failure a year before, but this worked just fine for me.

The body fits me snug but not too tight, which is great. I think the back looks just fine :) 

The sleeves were oddly a bit loose for the length. It wasn't drastic, so I just left them, but it's just a little looser than I like for the body being so fitted. A lot of this is the fabric stretch (as I learned on later versions), but something to think of in the future.

I did have to take in the shoulders on this version, which I've just learned is a standard for me. The frame of my shoulders is narrower than the build of my torso, which isn't a big deal - just something I need to account for in all tops. I wound up taking these shoulders in 3/4 inch on each side and they are still a smidge too wide.

I used twill tape to stabilize the shoulder seams, so I used a little loop of it to mark the back like a tag. This is very handy when putting it on because the front and back look exactly the same. The top did come out very long, which I'm sure is in part so it can be tucked in, but still very long for me. I shortened it about 1 inch and still took a 2 inch deep hem and it's a bit long. I don't mind because this way I could easily tuck it in, and when I don't I just scrunch it up on my waist a bit.

So that's my cactus printed Gable Top :) This is the first of many and I honestly struggle to not just whip up all of my knit stash in this pattern. Comfy, flattering, and vintage style. Love it.

Summary:

Fabric: 3 yards cotton spandex cactus print jersey - $12.00

Pattern: Gable Top by Jennifer Lauren Handmade - $10.00

Notions: twill tape, thread - Free

Time: 3 hours

Total Cost: $22.00