Top #2 from Sew-cation-- Simplicity 8982

I bought Simplicity 8982 for View C as soon as it came out.  I just love those sleeves! But I  ended up making the plain jane View B instead.

Backstory is that I've become very enamored of Nancy Nix Rice's teachings. (She has a book "Looking Good...Everyday", a great class on Bluprint that I loved and a blog at nancynixrice.com.)  She also has a presence on Pattern Review.  I'm learning that I have way too many prints and very few solids.  Ahhh, I love my prints so.  But I really need more solid basics in my wardrobe to make it work harder for me and be more versatile. 

So, to that end, I didn't sew up View C in the gorgeous but very lively paisley that I have chosen--yet. Instead, I choose View B, a basic Tshirt pattern with long sleeves.  I used some solid gray ITY that I had in the stash.  

I cut a size 18 neck and shoulders, a 20 bust and waist and flared to a size 22 at the hip.

The only alterations I made were to shorten the length of the shoulder by 3/4" and shorten the hem by 2 inches. It was very long on me. 

                           I like very long sleeves, but these I may shorten about 1/2 inch next time.

 Here is the top paired with a knit waterfall jacket, and my blue, gray and green plaid shirt (McCall's 7472.)  I'm wearing some charcoal gray ponte pants.  I also have some black dress pants that this looks really pretty with.  There is some silver lace in the stash that would make a lovely topper for this, too.  That's on the to-do list for this Fall/Winter.  I need some dressier clothes for special occasions.  Jeans are great for home but don't work everywhere.

So one basic added to the wardrobe and more to come.  I've also got some lovely mustard ponte just like the skirt in the picture.  Hmmmm.   But don't think I'm giving up my lovely prints.  There are just too many in the stash to play with!

New Hiking Top--McCall's 7574

It may have been a while since I posted last, but I have been busy with sewing.  Especially sewing this top for vacation in the Great Smokey Mountains.  We were lucky enough to get reservations at our favorite campground there, Smokemont, for the first week of October.  There wasn't much fall color yet but there was plenty of adventure to be had.  We spent one day in Gatlinburg shopping and eating and hiked a different trail daily the rest of the time.  We even got to backpack into the backcountry and sleep in one of the remote campsites!  But enough about the trip, now the top.

I took an extra week of vacation before out joint vacation as a sew-cation.  I made two tops and a small doll's quilt.  Today I'll share the McCall's top, 7574 a Melissa Watson pattern that I made for our hiking trip.

 I've made this top before and really liked the lines and how nicely that top fit.  I had some nylon/ spandex activewear by Judy P Apparel that I got from Fabric Mart.  I didn't realize just how bold and bright the color was until it arrived.  It's rather like a neon coral, but I like the thickness of it (could be used as leggings) and several of her fabrics have wicking properties.  Not sure if this one does but I really like the feel of it and it sewed up so nicely.

This is view B with 2 inches added to the length, this gal doesn't do crop tops, and I was really looking for a sportier fit.  I cut a size 18 at the neck and a size 20 for the bust and hips. The sleeve has a size 20 bicep tapering to a size 16 at the wrist. I used the regular collar instead of the mock turtleneck it shows.  I really like the longer length  the sleeves have.  Like all Palmer/Pletsch patterns, Melissa's come with all kinds of fit advice and directions for alterations.  The only alteration I made was to remove some of the curve from the top of the shoulder seam.  It was made for a much broader shoulder.  I could still shave more off to get a really good fit, now it has a little lump on each shoulder.

I topstitched the curve of the raglan sleeves with a darker strawberry shade to make the seams more  like those in RTW sportswear.   Collar and hems and center back seam were done with the same treatment.

I really like how the top came out and it performed well on the trails: warm enough for the cooler     temps there but breathable when the going got warm and dewy.  (Mom always said, "Ladies don't      sweat, they get dewy.")  The color is a bit too bold for me, but they'll have no trouble finding me in    the woods! 

  

I'll leave you with a closing shot of our trip.  

Sunset over the Smokies.