Sew Frugal: Vera Knit Top

 

After the sad state of my Miranda Gathered (?) Tee, I didn't want my Sew Frugal entry to be a bust. I had printed out the Vera Knit Top by Forget Me Not Patterns quite a long time ago, but I never sewed it up. This was the perfect moment to finally give it a try! Since I had never made any Forget Me Not patterns, I did want to make a mock up just to be sure, and this turned out to be a great wearable muslin :)

For full details of this make, you can head over to my YouTube channel and watch this video :) But I wanted a written review as well. So the fabric I chose was a coral pink swan print bamboo knit I grabbed in the clearance section at The Sewing Studio sale a year or so ago. This fabric is buttery soft and lovely. I grabbed 2 yards back then, which is perfect for this pattern. Since i got this for a very good price and I wasn't 1000% adoring of the swan print now, I didn't mind using it as a potential sacrificial fabric if this didn't work out. Thankfully it did and I love the print now that it's all done. Funny how making fabric into something cute can make you fall in love with it again.

So the construction is pretty simple and the instructions are very detailed. I was able to get a nice V neckline even though I've never sewn one before. Sadly, I had my iron just a smidge too warm for this fabric and it made the seam allowance beneath the neck band press in a shiny line there. I didn't really pay attention to the fact that this shirt has a high-low hemline, which I honestly don't love, but that's a simple change for next time. There was enough length for me to do a standard 1 inch deep hem though, so that was nice. 

The sleeve length I have here is my own fault and not the fault of the pattern. It's not awful or anything, it's just not what I intended. The pattern comes with 2 cuff lengths - the long cuff gives full long sleeves, so I thought that the short cuff did too and I would need to shorten the sleeve. Turns out, the cuff is the only difference in the sleeve length. I should have cut the normal sleeve as drafted and used the small cuff piece for 3/4 sleeves, but instead I shortened the sleeve to the lengthen/shorten line, which put my finished sleeve just above my elbow. It's still cute and I have already worn it, I just know that next time I want to use the whole sleeve because it's a bit fuller as well.

So that's my successful Sew Frugal project for 2024 :) I'm really happy with how this turned out and I know that I will absolutely be making more Vera tops in the future. This is a fantastic free pattern, and I hope everyone makes one for themselves.

Summary:

Fabric: 2 yards coral swan print bamboo knit - $6.42

Pattern: Vera Knit Top by Forget Me Not Patterns - Free

Notions: Thread - $0.50

Time: 3 hours

Total Cost: $ 6.92