With all the kids back in school I now have a couple of hours each day to myself. I’ve been looking forward to this time for YEARS! Little did I know that those two hours would fly by and seem like mere minutes each afternoon. In that short time, I try my best to clean the house, run errands, help in the classroom, and all the other mom duties we have. I had dreamed that every afternoon would be spent at my sewing machines! In the last couple weeks I was able to squeeze in a bit of sewing just for me!
The Key Largo Top from Hey June Handmade has been on my to-sew list since it went into testing! All summer long I’ve been longing to cut into one and I finally moved it up my list as soon as I got my hands on this gorgeous Lecien fabric from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. It’s so soft and I needed it made into a top stat! I tell you, it’s dangerous when your bestie has one of the best fabric shops EVER! A quick stop to visit and I inevitably leave with a stack of beautiful new fabric. She’s the best I tell ya’!
I’m all over relaxed, loose tops and am thanking the style gods who have made them so in fashion. I think women everywhere are rejoicing with me! The Key Largo has that perfect fit through the shoulders and chest and then just skims all the other bits. It’s meant to be a bit more cropped but I added a couple of inches to mine. I’ve got to be able to do the little half front tuck!
My other make was with another GORGEOUS fabric- this time from Stylish Fabric. I had won a gift certificate through Project Run and Play and waited to use it for my fall wardrobe planning. This Old Rose Stretch Velvet is joining my closet full of all things blush/mauve/dusty pink. It’s such a pretty color- not too pastel-y or nude.
This pretty velvet tee was my inspiration. I loved the cuff sleeves and relaxed fit.
I used my go-to relaxed fit tee pattern- the Mama Ava from Made for Mermaids. I trim an inch or two from the length and have raised the neckline a couple of inches to be more crew neck than scoop. I think I have half a dozen of these tees in my closet now which is saying a ton coming from a pattern hoarding like myself. I rarely reuse my patterns since there’s always a new one to try!
Those cuffs proved to be my nemesis. I tried a few different methods to get the look I wanted and seriously struggled. It was one of those projects that usually takes thirty minutes but dragged into days because I had to walk away from the issue out of frustration! I really wanted to do a cuff like the Hey June Santa Fe- a band that is sewn on the inside and flipped out and tacked on the outside. The issue came with this velvet sticking to itself and becoming super stiff when trying to use the underside of the fabric for a contrasting look. After multiple attempts I decided a thin, simple roll-over hem would just have to do. I serged the edge first to keep it from sticking to itself and then just had to call it ‘good enough’. I think lately ‘good enough’ has won over my need for perfection. Call me lazy- I’m calling it keeping my sanity 😉
What have you been sewing lately? Anyone else super excited to get their sewing time back after summer (however little or long it may be!)?
SewSophieLynn 
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