When the ladies at By Hand London put out the free Polly top sewing pattern, I was vaguely intrigued. Maybe it would be the perfect shell pattern that I was looking for, since the Colette Sorbetto didn't really work out for me. I downloaded it and promptly forgot about it until Jungle January rolled around. I had a scrap leftover from my previous Jungle January make, and it was just big enough for the front insert and a few scraps of bias tape. Is it a sewcialist faux pas to make two Jungle January garments from the same fabric? Oh well.
I used a random black knit remnant from my stash for the rest of the top (I know it's supposed to be a woven top, but I figured this is a very stable knit), and aside from some tricky pattern laying out to make everything fit, things went very quickly. The only modification I made was to shorten the straps considerably. It's such a flattering, easy to wear top, and I wear it every almost every laundry cycle, but somehow I never got around to taking proper pictures and blogging it until now, four months later! Oops.
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| Confession: I wore it a few times with the armholes still unbound, since it was January and it would be under a cardigan anyway. It took me a good month to get around to binding them! |
Summary:
Fabric: 2/3 yard piece of mystery-content black knit with excellent recovery, so I'm guessing it has a lot of lycra. The insert and bias bindings were made from a scrap of rayon challis.
Notions: None
Hours: Three? It was a while ago.
Will you make it again? Already did, and already planning another one!
Total cost: Free, since it was all from scraps/leftovers!
Final thoughts: I like how it's fitted on top, but widens and skims the belly at the bottom...perfect for covering the bump! This was crucial during that first trimester when I had crazy bloating, but wasn't ready to announce yet. And of course, the insert adds a little bit of fun to an otherwise normal shell.
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| See, you can't really tell there's a bump, right? |
Fun! It does look good on you (thanks for mentioning the shortening of the straps, in case I need to watch out for that as well). I don't wear tank tops, but I do like camisoles in winter. :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat fit! I might have to try this pattern out. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm terrible at seeing the potential in a pattern sometimes. Your version is super cute, but the one they posted didn't appeal to me at all. So now I'm going to have to see about sewing this up, because I'm 4 months post-baby and still not a flat-belly (and probably never will be). So thanks for the tip on shortening the straps. :-)
ReplyDeleteOh, no, you've reminded me that I have an unfinished version of this buried in a pile somewhere. Mine was intended for Jungle January- it's got a leopard-print insert, too! Guess I'd better find it!
ReplyDeletecute! i wasn't super into this pattern when it came out, but i love your version!
ReplyDeleteCute! I also looks super comfy!
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job. Nice to know the top can be made with a stable knit.
ReplyDeleteVery cute! Like others have said I didn't really like this top much until I saw your version. Now I want one too. Congrats on the baby bump!
ReplyDeleteThis top looks really nice on you and it surely is a nice option for summer.
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