polka yoke

Even though sewing can be quick, making decisions about what you're sewing often takes forever.

I had a quiet afternoon on Thursday to make a top for the Spring Top Sewalong, but choosing a pattern and fabric ate up way more time than I thought. The sewing part extended well into the weekend and after a rousing debate with myself this morning about adding decorative buttons, I finally finished the top (and it's completely button-free). The one bonus to the lengthy fabric debate is that I managed to work some yellow into my wardrobe. I'm pretty sure that's a first.

The pattern I worked from was Simplicity 3790. It's a pattern for knits, so I modified it quite a bit to use for woven fabric. I went up two sizes but trimmed back the armholes at the front and back while also adding more fabric in the front piece to allow for extra gathering. I pieced the yoke from 3 different fabrics but lined it with the gray linen. This is the second time I've used this pattern and I'm still not happy about the top seams - because it's a pattern for knits, the seams are finished after they are sewn together and there is no facing to clean up the inside edge. I made my own facings for the outside edges of the armholes (from the gray linen) so that side is good, but the inside isn't ideal. I used a black knit bias tape to finish the back neck edge, and was about to use it for the armholes, but after sewing one side I realized the gray edge was softer...even if that gray looks horrid next to my pale arms. But overall I really like the shirt, and I know that summers in an office mean cardigans are essential. So - cute tanks underneath those cardigans are a downright necessity.

Thank goodness there's still time to make one or two more.