Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Hello, Moron. BWOF 01-2009 #125

So, who's the moron that cut this top on the cross grain? Oh, yeah, that would be me. Fortunately this has 4-way stretch so it still stretches around my body. What a doofus. Here's the full review at PatternReview.com.

This is the first Hawaii-inspired top. It is #125 from January 2009 BWOF. It's the sewing course so it's easy-peasy.


It's got cute gathered sleeves that aren't toooo poofy.


You can tell I need a swayback adjustment. I refuse to cut a center seam on most knit tops and I think that is really what I need.


Cute snaps? Like them? I put them in with my snap press. You guys need one.



Here's the question of the day. I did my shoulder to bust tuck like I normally do but I did the sleeve tuck differently. To reduce the sleeve, I matched it along the sleeve seams and drew a line that matched where I normally shortened the front and back. I continued that line (and tuck) on the sleeve. I did that on the front and the back. What do you guys think? The pink is where I put the tucks. (click on the photos to see both front and back)

This is what I normally do.

30 comments:

Vicki said...

Very cute. I think your adjustment is just fine. It worked well. I wouldn't worry about a sway back adjustment for a knit top. They will always have wrinkles, folds etc just from movement. I am pretty sure I have one of those snap thingos but I have never used it. Better pull it out..

Maryissewfast said...

Darling top Dawn...guess I need to make one now! I think your adjustments are fine. We all do it a little differently, but your end result looks great, so don't mess with the mojo! Mary

Meg said...

No answer to your technical question but I love this top on you. It's very you.

Myra said...

I like the top and the snaps. Which press and where? I tried a sway back on a knit top w/out a CB seam and worked well. I just pinched the tissue larger on the fold, narrowing until gone as I went toward the seams. It worked really well as before I had had a lot of crinkles there. As far as the shoulder/arm, it looks fine to me and I have no experience at that one.

Lori said...

Very cute top, will be perfect for Hawaii. I am with Lindsay no help on the technical issue but it does look fantastic.

Melissa said...

Cute top!

Unknown said...

Great top, love the color!

kbenco said...

Your pattern adjustment worked, so of course it is right! I would try the same thing.
O.K., I know I need a monster snap press like you, I want one, but do you have any idea what the shipping costs to Australia? I checked last time you showed your Alien mother.I am not even slightly enabled by your post (I am lying, covet, covet)
Your top looks terrific.

Manecoarse said...

Your top is adorable. I love the snaps. The fact that they are green just adds so much flavor!

Sharon said...

Great top and colour, the Hawaii wardrobe is coming along nicely.

I do a sway back adjustment on all my garments; it stops that extra fabric at the back. You don't need a centre back seam to do it as Myra has pointed out. The way I do it is by drawing a line across the back waist, cutting to the seam line and then a tiny cut from the cutting edge to the seam line to create a pivot and then move the lower portion up the amount I want e.g. 1.5cm for me and it makes quite a difference. The centre back fold line is not 100% straight but it works.

Gorgeous Things said...

You're no moron, by any stretch of the definition. I think your top is adorable. However - I think the tuck actually pulled the fullest part of the pattern's bust above the fullest part of your bust. See the horizontal lines at the sides above your bustline? That's an indication to me that's what's going on. For the sway back, you will get the most bang for your buck by adding a back seam, but you can also fake out some of that by pinning out a horizontal dart at the center and tapering out to nothing at the side seams.

Is that clear as mud?

Unknown said...

I was brainstorming just that, how to Petite-ize a raglan sleeve (on a woven BWOF dress) and pretty much settled for pic #1's technique.

No idea what is wrong or right but you top doesn't look distorted so I say Yea.

KayY said...

Both adjustment methods shorten the raglan seam on the sleeve to match the body of the garment. However, the way you did it you took the tuck out of the hem, making the circumference of the sleeve smaller but leaving the over-the-shoulder length the same. The other method leaves the circumference intact. On your pattern it probably doesn't matter, but if the sleeve was longer (the shortening lines you used would cross) or tighter, you could have problems.

Anonymous said...

I love the top on you! And the color looks great.

Cotton Picker said...

Your question is too technical for me to contemplate at this late hour, but I gotta say, this top looks great on you. Love the colour, love the style.

Amanda S. said...

I love the top. You really like purple, right?! :)

Shelley's Garden said...

Love the top. It looks like a good item for the warm weather vacation. Your bathing suit post reminded me I needed to repair mine for our February California trip.

Anonymous said...

I think the top is great, but that close-up of the snaps is very impressive. I think I want one now. Natasha

Kat said...

Stop teasing me (re: The Snap Press) :) ! For the swayback tuck and not wanting a CB seam, not a problem. Do the swayback tuck, but still cut the back on the fold. You will get a minimal addition in width, but it is usually negligible or can take it out the excess at the back side seams. I do it all the time.

Little Hunting Creek said...

You're right, I do NEED a snap thingy. And snaps too. Very cute top. As for the sway back adjustment, I do mine just like Ann says above and it is very easy.
Just a tuck where you need it at center back, tapering to nothing at the side seams. I think it is shown in FFRP like that too.

cidell said...

Man. I'm going to have to get a snap thingy. I was with Christina when she bought one and it didn't even occur to me to get it!

angie.a said...

Super color, and I love the snaps. I have NO idea on the tuck thingie, but it looks perfect to me!

mitch1066 said...

oh we are our own worst critics aren't we!The top is lovely and no-one would guess your mistake:)
Relax and enjoy XX

Peggy said...

That turned out really nice. This is the one top from the issue that caught my eye, too. Literally, I tore off the wrapper and flipped right to the page.

patsijean said...

I love the top and envy your ability to wear that color. Make that little cheater sway back adjustment and keep this pattern for future short sleeved tops. May I recommend The Sew/Fit Manual by Ruth Oblander and Joan Anderson? It is a honken'big fitting manual which originated the pivot and slide method of pattern fitting. This book is still avaliable on Amazon.com and a great price. My review is posted there. Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Sew-Fit-Manual-Patterns-Pivoting/dp/0686144317/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232035174&sr=1-1

I have some snaps but forgot about the actually. I will be making my 4.75 year old grandson some more space themed shirts for his birthday (he is a NASSA freak practically since birth--seems to run in the family--and wants to be an astronaut) and snaps will be a great change from buttons. I have the little snap applicator that you use to hammer in the snaps. You have inspired me.

judy said...

I have been eyeing that shirt in the magazine! It turned out very cute! You make a lot of the things that I want to make so I enjoy seeing your creations!

Ann Made Studio said...

Very cute top, and I love the color!

Dr. Bennett said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dr. Bennett said...

This may be my rationalization for laziness, but...
Swayback, schmayback. Sure, the adjustment would be helpful. But your swayback is not that significant. Here's how we look at stuff like that in the medical world: What are the risks of doing it? What are the risks of not doing it? The risk of not doing it is that your top will look like it does-- perfectly fine, and already much cuter than RTW. The risk of doing the alteration, in my hands, is that I won't ever get the top made because it'll seem like too big a PITA for a basic, knock-around knit top. So if I were you I'd take option A here, and save your time for some alteration that really makes a difference-- like in a dressy jacket. Love the top just as it is!

Anonymous said...

I am a newbie for blogs - your blog is so fantastic it's inspired me to sign up. Can you please tell me more details about the standard adjustment you make? I am a new sewer (have made a few Burda WOF things but am not good at fitting adjustments). Have a v small bust so am keen to learn how to adjust for that.