Video: Gable Top Sewing Nightmare

Sometimes our sewing projects don't go as smoothly as we envision they will, and this video documents the downfall of a should-have-been-simple sewing project. Come watch as I have to deal with machine malfunctions and finally figure out the culprit. Click below to watch now :)

FO: Witchy Gable Top

 

I'm jumping the line by posting this since it's actually my most recent make, but since it's Halloween this week I figured I'm justified. Are you tired of seeing Gable tops yet? Hopefully not because this will not be the last, lol. 

I found this fabric in the clearance at Joann's back in July and they had 2 yards left and I paid $8 for it all. This is a cotton spandex jersey from their Pop! line. Normally orange is not a color I ever wear, but this had witch legs, hats, and cauldrons, so ... it was going to happen.

This time around with the pattern, I managed to mix up the front and the back, so I had to unpick the neckline and sew it again after I figured that out. Don't be like me and think that you will still have the notches - you're going to cut them off. Put a pin in the back or something. You can thank me later.

Since I don't ever wear this color, I didn't have any matching thread. I just decided to go with white thread all over and I think it looks nice. I made my same alterations on this version - narrowed the shoulders by about 3/4 inch each side, narrowed the sleeves, and shortened the length with a 2 inch deep hem.

My girls and I wore out Halloween shirts to school and work one day, so we stopped by the local pumpkin patch for some photos.

They both love going to the pumpkin patch, so having us all dressed for the occasion was extra fun for them. We looked around for the most warty pumpkin and had a great time.

This has turned into my Halloween "costume" this year since I let myself off the hook on the Reency dress. I'm glad about it though, this was cute at our church Trunk of Treat party on Saturday and I just added my butterfly wings from last year (which will be my eternal fall back costume now). Gable top + linen Fiore + thrifted witchy shoes = Halloween done :) This one was cute and comfy and I'm so glad I managed to get it made up.

Summary:

Fabric: 1.5 yards Scattered Witch Jersey Knit from Joann - $8.00

Pattern: Gable Top by Jennifer Lauren Handmade

Notions: Twill tape - Free

Time: 3 hours

Total Cost: $ 8.00

FO: White Gable Top

And finally the Gable top that started me sewing Gables! This shirt was the one I wanted so much that I made the other versions to test with. I just love a slash neck and it seems that I am always in need of simple white shirts because I have a lot of colored and patterned bottoms, so it really goes with everything. Being an avid thrifter (at this point I can't even imagine paying full price for new clothing - like... how do you do that?), I have to admit that good white shirts are notoriously hard to come by in good condition. They always seem to have holes or stains. I mean... they're white, you known? So when I saw that The Sewing Studio had their white Laguna Jersey in their clearance section, I bought 6 yards to I can make myself as many white t-shirts as my heart desires. I specifically had this pattern in mind when buying this fabric, so it's only fitting that it be one of the first things I make when I start sewing again, right?

So the Laguna Jersey has a bit of a tighter recovery than my Prickly Gable or my Purple Roses Gable did. This shirt was cut at the same time and in the same way as the Purple Roses version, but this one came out much more fitted. Not badly so, just obviously more snug. It's still comfy, so I am fine with the difference. I just need to remember to account for the recovery next time.

You can see the difference mostly in the back. Still not bad though. 

Funny enough, the arms were still too loose and I had to take them in a bit and they are still a bit loose at the hem. I guess my forearms are thinner than the pattern is drafted for in my bust size? I'm learning how oddly sized my body is more and more with each make, lol . It's all good though.

The neckline is great - maybe a tiny bit too tall. This knit wanted to roll much more than the other 2 did, so it was harder to get it rolled down enough. Still a good height - just something to consider next time. I did narrow the shoulders again, but again it could use that extra 1/4 inch narrower. I'm going to have to pull out the pattern pieces and make this adjustment on the paper itself so I remember.

I used twill tape in the shoulders again, but I decided to use a fancy flower ribbon from my stash to mark as the tag, because why not? I figured the floral might show through on the shoulders, but in the back my hair would cover it anyway. This also has a  inch deep hem, which helps the shirt lay nicely when I tuck it in.

This shirt is the perfect blank canvas for my new skirts I've made recently. Like... literally everything matches a white skirt. It's such a versatile piece and I'm so thrilled to finally have this made up. That said ... now I'm wondering if it's a little too plain. I've been obsessed with Irish crochet lately and I'm contemplating maybe making a few white motifs to sew on the neck area? OR maybe I just need to make a second top and leave this one totally plain? We'll see. For now, I love having this one as it is.

So that's the final piece of my trio of Gable tops! I made all of these in just a few evenings and I've loved having every single one of them in my wardrobe. It's always nice to have something so immediately useful to wear, isn't it? It's probably not the most editorial shirt to look at, but I can't recommend a white t-shirt enough. And now I have enough fabric to make more if I (inevitably) stain this one, lol.

Summary:

Fabric: 1.25 yards Laguna Cotton Jersey - $6.00

Pattern: Gable Top by Jennifer Lauren Handmade 

Notions: twill tape, thread - Free

Time: 2 hours

Total Cost: $6.00

FO: Purple Roses Gable Top

 

After the success of my Prickly Gable Top, I immediately and excitedly cut out  more. Technically the one coming up next was cut out first, but this one was finished first, so it gets first billing lol. While thrifting about a week before making this top, I was at the cashier buying some things and noticed a bucket tucked under a table near the front that said Fabric $4 Per Bag. I always must look in these bins, but I really only found this interlock knit. Since I was buying a bunch of other things, the woman just let me have the fabric for free, lol. It was a 2 yard cut, 60 inches wide. It's definitely mostly cotton, but there's probably something else blended in there (I just try not to think about it now that I've been trying to change to natural fibers, lol). 

This fabric is really cute, but it is the type of print that could easily go wrong if you're not careful with the finished garment style. I thought that a Gable Top was the perfect combo, and I still think I was right :) I made the size 16 and narrowed the shoulder by 3/4 inch like my previous version. This knit isn't as tight of a stretch as the cactus print, so it came out with a looser fit that is very comfy while still looking fitted.

For this version, I decided to secure the shoulders on both seam allowances, not just one like the instructions call for. I used a pretty printed ribbon form my stash for the shoulders as well as the back "tag" so I can make sure I get it on right. I cut this one shorter, but I still made a 1 inch hem.

I particularly love the neckline on this version. It's just the right height and it holds its shape smoothly a bit more than the other 2 I've made. The shoulders are still that smidge too wide, so I need to go a full 1 inch narrower next time. Not bad though. I also narrowed the arms a bit on this one so they are more fitted like the body and I like how they came out.

I really love the print of this shirt, and the little yellow flowers make it match my mustard linen Fiore skirt perfectly. It's made for a very cute outfit that I continually reach for.

So this was a pretty quick and simple make, but a great wardrobe staple for me. It looks cute but not childish - very much me, lol. I have about a yard of this left that I want to use to make something for my girls to match me. How cute would we all be?!

Summary:

Fabric: 1 yard purple floral print jersey - Free

Pattern: Gable Top by Jennifer Lauren Handmade 

Notions: ribbon, thread - Free

Time: 2 hours

Total Cost: Free

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