Vogue 8497 - Marcy Tilton Top

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Thanks to all of you who voted!
I won the Jeans Contest on Pattern Review!
Woot!

I hope I'm not becoming too repetitive, but I seem to be on a knit top roll. I've had this pattern for a long time, intending to get around to it "one of these days".

I've been collecting some great rayon lycra knits, and I've worked out a TnT pattern that I can lay on top of other patterns and transfer the fit, so there's no stopping me now. :)

I decided to make a variation of view B, which Marcy shows on her website (search the page for "Holey Moley").

Originally, I planned to insert a circle or two as she shows in her tutorial, but the fabric I used is a very lightweight, very drapey rayon/lycra and it would have been more painstaking than I wanted to deal with. (Those circles would be much easier in a cotton lycra.)

Marcy's variation of view B

Materials:

• A lightweight rayon/lycra. I think I bought this from Emma One Sock.

Alterations and Modifications:

• I redrew the shape of the front seam to mimic the tan striped top on Marcy's site. I think this is a more flattering line for my bust.
• Rather than using the cut-on sleeve from the pattern, I used the armscye and sleeve from my TnT tee.
• Borrowing the construction from the last few collaged tops I've made, I serged the shaped front seam, shaped back seam and hems. I overlapped the front seams and stitched on the conventional machine. I did the same for the back seam.
• I used a neckline treatment I have used, and blogged about, before. I saw this on a top in Marcy's wardrobe.
  
  Same neckline treatment, different top. For this one I cut the strip on the bias and lined up the three raw edges to be even.
  
  The back neck, from this top.
  To summarize:
  
  • Cut a 1.5" vertical strip longer than the neckline.
  • Fold it in half the long way and press the crease.
  • Lay the strip against the neckline so that the raw edges of the strip are extended slightly beyond the raw edge of the neckline - maybe 1/8".
  • Top-stitch 1/8" from the folded edge of the strip, pulling slightly as you round the curves. To see my favorite video showing how to calculate a binding for a scoop neck, and how to attach the strip to the neckline, see the Sarah Veblen Neckline Binding for Knits video on the Threads Magazine website. I used Sarah's basic technique for calculating the length and attaching the strip, but applied to Marcy's raw edge technique. It's an excellent video, well worth pinning.

Conclusion:

I am really having fun with these rayon lycra print knit tops! They are so stretchy, but with good recovery. They are soft, comfy, and, I hope, flattering, flowing over lumps and bumps but not clinging to them. And I can whip one of these up in an evening!

Oh, you'll never guess what happened! I was typing this entry last night when the control key on my keyboard split in half. It's usable, but annoying, so it's back to the Apple Store today!

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