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Pattern Review: Aida Top in Verona Voile

This post was originally published August 13, 2019 for the Imagine Gnats Blog.  Since the shop closed in early 2020, I have republished my contributors posts (with permission) to this blog.  I have included some additional thoughts and pictures after some real-life wear and tear.  Enjoy!

In Ohio, we are in the dog days of summer, and this hazy heat is beating down on all of us. It’s at the point of just scorching outside or freezing inside almost all buildings with the air conditioning blasting to compensate for the weather.

So, I’ve been on the hunt for a lightweight woven fabric and a shirt pattern with some nice ease for a loose and breezy top (enter my voile Aida top). I was so happy to see this Verona Voile (aff link) and had to have it!  Then all I could think about was pairing it with the Aida Top by Sew Liberated.

Fabric

When I first saw the Verona, I loved that it was voile. I love the lightweight characteristics of this type of fabric, but was curious to the fact that it’s a 50/50 of cotton and rayon. Well, now I can say that it’s a great combination because it allows more drape which makes for a great summer fabric.

If you look closely, you’ll be able to see the great puckered texture the Verona Floral Voile has after washing. It’s not like a seer-sucker with the same repeat waffle texture, but it’s like striped puckering which has been woven in. It’s absolutely gorgeous, and I became a quick fan…since I don’t have to worry about wrinkles anymore!

There are two colors of this Verona Voile Floral – navy blue and yellow. Since I just finished a few blue chambray projects, I wanted to add a little color to my wardrobe with the yellow.

It’s not a color I wear a lot, but I figured I’d go big with the yellow and large flowers since it WAS going to be a summer shirt after all 😉

Pattern

The Aida Top is a new addition to the Imagine Gnats pattern library, and I was pretty stoked to sew it up. It had everything I was looking for: lots of ease, shirt-tail hem, v-neck, button placket, AND written for lightweight woven fabrics.

I was mostly drawn to the v-neck button placket because its a popular style I’ve been seeing with strappy tanks lately.

Based on my measurements, I am an 8 in the bust and also in the waist. With my hips (that don’t lie), I clock at a size 12. With all the ease in this top and after reading some other reviews, I felt pretty comfortable sewing a straight size 8.

You can see in the profile shot of the shirt that the voile Aida top still clears my backside with room to spare! Woohoo!

There are two views of the Aida with either a flat-front or with gathering, and I chose the latter. I like the extra shaping and added texture it has. I also sewed the shirt-tail hem as written, but I think a cropped boxy version would also be great in this pattern.

My arms are on the heavier side for a size 8. RTW woven shirts are generally tight around my biceps and were always tough for me to find since I didn’t want to wear something that was then bigger everywhere else.

My arms fit into the sleeves as drafted, but I wanted a little more ease to be consistent with the look of the top. I reduced the seam allowance by 1/4″ for a little extra breathing room. I also added a 1″ cuff on each sleeve for an extra detail and visual interest.

Since I love to use buttons from my MIL’s old stash, I found 5 black ones which were pretty close matches. The pattern calls for 7, but I thought 5 was enough.

Even though I didn’t use the recommended 7, I do wish there was a button template just to know where to place the top button. I had to do a good bit of trial and error to figure out where it should go while keeping a flat neckline, but everything did work out!

The Aida Top in this Verona rayon/cotton voile is just a dream shirt for the summer. I wore it during a heat wave and was so impressed with the airiness and soft feel….making the heat (slightly) more bearable 🙂

I hope you grab some of this fabric and make a voile Aida top of your own soon!!!

{Edited May 2, 2020}

Since making this top in August, I’ve worn it at least another dozen times and have yet to iron it –so the textured voile is definitely a winner!  The fabric washes well and the texture is still perfectly waffled.  I just broke it out for the first time this year since the temperatures jumped about 20*F.  But with Covid-19 quarantine and all the additional baking happening… I need some coverage while still being  breathable, and this is it.  The  Aida is still a winner in a my book!  Below are updated links if you would like to make your own:

 

Happy Sewing!

Cristy

 

This post may contain affiliate links.  You can read about my disclosures here.

No Sew T-Shirt Face Mask Tutorial

If you are like me and have been already making lots of face masks for front line workers, it’s hard to keep up with personal demand from friends and family…especially with the new CDC recommendations for everyone to wear some kind of face covering in public.  That got me thinking about all of the people who need masks all of a sudden but do not sew, have access to a sewing machine, know of places to get masks and/or do not have the means to buy them for their families.  That’s why I wanted to come up with a way to use household materials, like a plain t-shirt to make a mask for essential activity!

“CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

CDC also advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.  Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.

Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators.  Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.”

To Make the DIY Mask, these are the Materials Needed:

  • (1) L-XXL Short Sleeve T-Shirt with a relaxed and roomy fit – I used a basic white Hanes shirt this this one, here.
  • (2) Hair Elastics or Rubber Bands – I used Goody brand with no metal found here.

This tutorial utilizes the round tube of a short sleeve, giving you two layers of protection,  By using the sleeve hem across the nose bridge, the mask has a finish look and won’t curl over.  The  elastic ties bring the mask close to your face and doesn’t leave gaps like with other coverings.  Leaving the shoulder seam also helps the mask stay snug around your chin.  *Make sure to adjust the mask so both layers of the sleeve do cover BOTH the nose and the mouth.

Thanks to everyone who is wearing a mask and encouraging others to do the same.  Let’s make sure we flatten the curve!!!

 

Hugs and Stitches,

Cristy

Pattern Review || Fibre Mood Holly Dress

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Things got pretty busy around the holidays, so it’s about time I get back to the blog.  I can’t believe it’s March already and I’m just getting around to reviewing the Fibre Mood Holly Dress I made back in November!  We are in the midst of Covid-19 self-quarantine and blogging a bit is helping me deal with the current environment along with feeling some kind of accomplishment for the day.  I hope this post brings some distraction to all of you at this unbelievable time in our world.

With the 2019 fashion trends bringing “prairie” style along with bold statement sleeves, I was on the hunt for a pattern that was still modern and not full “Laura Ingalls Wilder.”  Then I happen to see a version of the Fibre Mood Holly Dress on Instagram and knew it was for me!  I loved the clean high collar, full sleeves with button placket and the perfect midi length!

Pattern

I had never made a Fibre Mood pattern before.  The company is a European based sewing magazine (available in several different languages) which also sells their digital patterns a la cart here.  When I purchased this pattern in November of 2019, there are a few things to note about the pattern:

  • It  was available only in A4 paper sizing
  • You had to add in your own seam allowances (SA)….to every single pattern piece.  Yikes!  I’m not used to doing that, since I’m accustomed to US patterns which includes the SA already.  But, I still wanted to make the dress badly and was willing to take the extra time
  • Since purchasing this pattern, Fibre Mood has started to add SA to their new pattern launches and has made their digital patterns available in US Letter and AO (copy shop) formats.  This pertains to only the new patterns being released in new magazines, but they might go back to old patterns.  I’m crossing my fingers!

The nice thing about a pattern without SA, is that you can tissue-fit it without having to do all of the math (subtracting the seam allowances) to your body.  The down-side is this process is VERY time intensive…even with the double pencil trick!

Fabric

I fell in love with this Telio polyester crepe over the summer with leopard also making its resurgence as the hot print of the moment.  Since everyone and their mother is wearing animal print, I wanted to enjoy the trend but be a little different in this bold orange and blue combo.  I purchased a few yards with no plan in mind until I found the Holly Dress.  I paired this fabric with the pattern to really make the dress more modern to balance to the high neck and more traditional ballon sleeves.

The fabric is lightweight with fluid drape and needed to be cut with care due to it’s shiftiness.  I did not cut on the fold and opted to cut everything out as one layer of fabric.  This crepe is also semi-sheer so you would need a lining, but I opted to just wear a slip underneath the dress afterwards.

Construction

I measured between a 38 and a 40, but opted for the 40 since I needed the clearance over my hips.  Although I made a straight 40, next time I will widen the shoulder and possibly add a little length to the sleeve….which is surprising because I am 5’3″ and usually have to narrow the shoulders with American patterns.  Other modifications included:

  • Omitted belt for a solid RTW one – I knew I wanted to tone down the pattern just a little bit to eventuate the waist and not be completely lost in the print.
  • Used basting stitches to help set in the sleeve (they were not part of the instructions.)
  • Swapped out the 24″ invisible zipper for a 16″ which I had on hand – There was still plenty of clearance to get the dress on and off

  • Hacked in pockets using the Derby Dress pattern pieces – This is my go-to pattern piece when I want in-seam pockets.

  • Narrowed the neckband by 1″ in total by taking out (2) 1/2″ wedges where the band meets the shoulder seams.

  • Made fabric covered buttons for an elevated look using a kit similar to this.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really love this dress.  The fabric and pattern were a perfect pairing for my style and wardrobe needs.  I’ve worn it out for date nights with my husband and can’t wait to bring it into spring!  I would definitely make this pattern again, just with a slight widening of the shoulders and maybe a different length just for some variety.

What do you think about this dress style?  Are you into leopard print too?

 

Hugs and Stitches,

Cristy

 

 

This post may contain affiliates links.  You can read my full disclosure here.  I bought the fabric and pattern on my own.  But after making this garment, have since become a member of the Fibre Mood ambassador team.

Colleen Tote Bag Gemology Tour

Gemology Blog Tour with the Colleen Tote

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Today is my day on the Gemology Blog Tour supporting my friend, Andrea Tsang Jackson and her new quilting book, Patchwork Lab – Gemology. I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Andrea earlier this year at QuiltCon – Nashville after following her on Instagram with her amazing quilt art for so long.  We met over coffee and had SUCH a great conversation about building businesses in the fiber arts world and also being immigrants in North America.  Our stories are very similar and one of the reasons why I was thrilled when she asked me to be a part of this tour!!!

Colleen Tote Bag Gemology Tour

This new Patchwork Lab – Gemology book is absolutely beautiful and jam-packed with designs featuring nine different gem shapes which you can adjust into four different sizes ranging from a 6″ to a 24″ square block. There are additional instructions to make 5 quilts and a sweet little coin purse. The great thing about the book is that it is not just another quilting book. There is SO much additional information about how light hits the facets producing different colors and info about birthstones themselves.  It really gives you extra appreciation of the blocks as you construct them.

I knew after seeing the book, I would use the  6″ block for the exterior of my Colleen Tote Bag pattern.  When I first designed this bag, the quilter in me wanted enough open space on the exterior to eventually use quilt blocks to add some fun flair to the outside.  I’m so glad I finally got a chance to make this happen with the Cushion cut pattern.

Fabric

There are great fabric suggestions in the book for many of the birthstones, but I decided to use my own stash and make up my own gem. The Swatch Chart reference sheet is definitely a must IMO. It helped me sort out my fabrics and was a great visual reference as I was piecing the block together.

I really wanted the gem to pop on a bag so I used the following in the magenta family: (aff links)

For the rest of the bag, I used:

To Make the Side Panel with Gem Block

With this bag, I knew I wanted the exterior to be quilted for the texture and also to help secure the block to the interfacing. When doing this for a bag, it is always important to cut the fabric larger than what is needed, quilt it, THEN come back and cut it to size. Quilting will always shrink down a block and can become pretty significant difference if you are using more lofty batting or interfacing.

Since the finished panel would be 20 1/2″ x 10″, I added 3″ wide borders to the top and bottom (referred to as the “sides” in the book) and then 12 1/2″ x 7″ to the sides.  Instead of using fusible fleece as the interfacing, I swapped it out with Pellon 988 Sew-in Fleece.

I used matching Aurifil 2535 to stitch-in-the-ditch around the gem and then on all the intersecting seams that ran completely across the the pattern.  For the background, I used Aurifil 2615 to sew 1″ blocks at a 45* angle, stopping when I hit the gem. The nice part about quilting a bag panel is that you can leave the thread tails and just tie them off without having to bury any of them!

To cut the panel and create equal spacing above and below the block, you find the center horizontally and cut 4 3/4″ below the line and then 5 1/4″ above the line. The measurements are not equal to account for the different seam allowances as written in the Colleen Tote pattern.

Other Modifications

Every time I make a pattern (whether my own or someone else’s) I can’t help but add some different features so each one is unique.  I believe that every bag has it’s own personality and calls out for different features. I made the following changes to this Colleen:

  • Extended the key fob to 16″ in total length
  • Added a interior D-ring
  • Added a magnetic snap to the interior band
  • Pieced the line with some of the Sangria Compass to bring some of the Gem colors to the interior
  • Added Purse Feet following the add-on instructions here.
  • Broke up the gray a little more on the exterior with some accent tabs and rivets.

I did this by using the scraps I cut out of the bottom accent fabric.  You will need (2) 3 1/2 x 1″ strips.  Fold each long side to the center creating a single-fold tape and top-stitch 1/16″ along each side.  Fold down each short end by 3/4″ with wrong sides together.

The trick to adding these tabs over the top of the bag is to fold the tab and cut those holes first.  Then place it over the edge of the bag and mark it just to the left of the side seam and cut the hole in the bag.  By moving the hole you won’t cut into the side seam but it will appear that the tab is centered from far away!  Add the rivet and now you have a cute tab that makes this look more high-end.

Please make sure you follow Andrea @3rdstoryworshop to keep up with the rest of the Gemology Blog Tour.  You can find her blog and shop her book here.

Tomorrow, Rebecca Makas is up with her Gemology Project.  Click to find her here.

I hope you enjoyed the new spin on the Colleen Tote Bag and all of the gemstone inspiration from Patchwork Lab – Gemology!

 

Hugs and Stitches,

Cristy

 

This post is in collaboration with Andrea Tsang Jackson for which I received a complimentary copy of her book.  //  This post may also contain affiliate links and you can read all the details in my Disclosures here.

Create Card Slots in the Kelly Waist Bag

When wearing a waist (belt, bum, fanny pack) bag, space is incredibly limited. There is already a nice built-in slip pocket to the Kelly Waist Bag (a FREE pattern you can find here.) But I thought I could kick it up a notch and add some card pockets — perfect for just that ID and credit card for a night out. The smaller slots keeps your cards more secure, yet easily accessible.

Make the Card Pockets

This is a very quick and simple add-on to the pockets. You will need the pattern which you can find here, plus an additional 6″ x 2 1/2″” piece of leather which I’ll refer to as the Card Pockets.

With the 6″ x 3″ Card Pocket, mark a line down the center with right side facing up. Take the Front Pocket piece and lay it right side up and then lay the Card Pockets with right side facing up aligning the bottom edge and corners. Clip into place.

Sew on top of the Card Pockets on the marking attaching the Card Pockets to the Front Pocket and also dividing it into two.

Continue to Step #6 to finish assembling the rest of the pocket.

Project Summary

I hope you enjoyed this simple tutorial to add card pockets to your Kelly Waist Bag!  You now have an extra layer of storage while being hands-free.  Head to the Pattern Resources page for all Love You Sew pattern hacks!

 

Hugs and Stitches,

Cristy

 

This post may contain affiliate links which helps keep this website going.  You can read all the info regarding these links in my Disclosures.