Sewing Fabrics Into Tops

I have organized my sewing projects for the next couple of months. Yes, it’s an ambitious list. This is the pile of fabric I want to turn into tops for the summer:

It remains to be seen how far I get. There are 14 fabrics in this pile, as well as 3-4 Kaffe widebacks still in the stash. I started with the grass green fabric on the bottom, which I think (?) is Brussels Washer Linen. That’s a rayon/linen blend.

Our community homestead foundation had its Spring Pie Social on Saturday and I wore a Scout Tee made from some gray Brussels Washer Linen, so I pulled out that pattern to use it again. My only quibble with that pattern—with all of the Grainline patterns, in general—is that the upper back is too narrow. I’ve run into the same issue with the Tamarack Jacket. I adjusted the pattern before I made the green version, but I may tinker with it a bit more.

For some reason, I had a lot of trouble making this top. I felt like a rank beginner again, and it’s not a complicated pattern. Part of the issue was the thread. I have a lot of thread, but I did not have a green that was a good match. I went to my vintage thread stash—which I save for basting and other non-critical uses—and found a matching Molnlycke polyester thread, still in the plastic wrapper. Molnlycke thread was made in the Swedish town of the same name. I don’t think it’s manufactured any longer.

My machine did not like this thread. I tried several different feeding arrangements and the thread would not feed smoothly no matter which way I set it up. Backlashing was a frequent problem. I tried both universal and Microtex needles. I was able to power through, but not without having to stop and rethread the machine several times.

I also managed to sew the right side of the front to the wrong side of the back, so the bust darts were on the wrong side. 🙄 This fabric doesn’t have a clear right or wrong side, but that was a dumb mistake that happened because I just wasn’t paying attention. I did not discover that fact until the entire garment was assembled. Thankfully, all I had to do was take out part of the side seams, undo the bust darts, flip them to the other side and re-sew, and reassemble the top.

What should have been a three-hour project took most of the day. Still, it fits and I am happy with it. (I should just pad out the dress form so it has the same bustline that I do. . . )

I plan to wear the top today to teach my serger class.

The neckline is bound. I am trying to decide if I want to change it to a facing as I prefer facings to binding. I will say that the binding instructions in this pattern are better than most and the neckline lies nice and flat. I used some matching Kona cotton (color Pesto) cut on the bias.

I am going to drill down until I get through the pile. Batch cutting and sewing may help speed up the process. After this weekend, the rest of May is fairly wide open except for the plant sale on the 23rd. I should be able to set aside a couple of days for sewing.

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I took out the Remy Raglan to compare it to the Simplicity 8909 pattern because I thought I might add the bust darts to the Remy. I am putting that off. Adding the bust darts isn’t difficult, but the raglan shaping doesn’t match well and I don’t want to monkey with it right now. It’s probably going to be easier to use the S8909 pattern as the basis for any raglans and adjust it as needed.