Pattern:
McCalls 6400, a pattern for very stretchy fabric. The asymmetrical nature appealed to me a lot and I thought the irregular stripes of the knit could really emphasize that. There are lots of reviews on PR about this pattern. It looks much better with a real woman inside of it , per hubby!
Fabric:
The fabric is a poly/lycra ITY knit. ITY is the acronym for Interlock Twist Yarn. What and why that's all about I don't know. I can tell you it has a marvelous drape, feels really comfortable and if I ball it up it will just bounce back the minute I go to put it on. This is PERFECT travel fabric. No ironing, evah! Downside: it has a tendency to curl and likes to slither and slide a bit. I used lots of big weights and a rotary cutter to cut it out. It drapes nicely over the body, sort of the way slinky does. It doesn't have that hot rubbery feeling.
Construction:
I followed the pattern pretty closely but frankly this is so simple there wasn't much to follow. All of my edges are backed with fusible tricot, pressed back and topstitched to hem. The top was serged on the seams. For the extra part on the long sleeve I did a bit differently than specified. I cut the cuff double on the fold with the folded edge being the hem edge. The cut edges were then connected to the sleeve. I think it makes for a nicer "pushup" sleeve with the folded double cuff. That's about it, nothing complicated here, just a great design. I may make more. My other ITYs I purchased already have their patterns matched up.
Sewing with ITYs is like eating chocolates. Just give me another and another. If you've been hanging around here any length of time you know I RARELY sew knits. With ITY's I'm a convert! Have you sewn this fabric and if so, what do you think? any hints or downsides? TIA
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If I can't be warm, I can at least sew warm. When will this dreadful weather end?....Bunny
I've made several dresses and lots of tops from ITYs. I've found I prefer the mid weight ones, but not all sites specify the weight. I like 6 oz. I've gotten some from Fabric.com, Fabric Mart and other online vendors and price doesn't seem to always indicate quality. Some of the pricer ones pilled but it held up reasonably well. I probably just wore them to death! I agree on ITY garments being perfect for travel. The ITY border prints are super fun to play with, too. Love your new top!
ReplyDeleteLove the top and the way the stripes play in the design.
ReplyDeleteI really like ITY knits too. There are a couple of downsides for me. It's feels "cold" against my skin in winter and it's not that great in hot humid summer weather. But even in WNY I can wear it 7-8 months out of the year. FYI JA's does carry ITY knits and has some really nice prints. I've used a number of them with success. You really have to look at the label since the first thing you see is 100% poly and the ITY is in pretty small print.
Love your top. ITY knits are addictive! Easy to sew, wash, and wear. And so many prints available. I've come across both good and bad quality. I love the 'Parisian Knits' that Marcy Tilton sells on her fabric website, just delicious to wear, and sew up wonderfully. Not exactly an ITY, but a bit nicer IMO, with all the same benefits of an ITY.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your top!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait to see the Donna Karan made up. Should be super cute on you.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see this dress! Love the top also, please show on the body, as hubby said!
ReplyDeleteOne other downside - I'm afraid some will think Grandma had a senile sewing moment with the different sleeve lengths. I can see them thinking, "oh, she's really lost it now". I will wear it and damn the public!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first looked at this I thought, how pretty, but I'm to short for such a pattern. Recently, having lost 100 pounds, I'm still in the mind set of why I can't wear all these pretty things. I just convinced myself to say, "how pretty, it would look great with dress pants or jeans, I'll try try it!" Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteJust put the pattern into google images. You will see great examples on all sorts of sizes. I think this pattern has negative ease. Many of those shown have less wrinkles than mine. I made this in a medium size and still amped out the hipline. I don't personally like negative ease. I usually make up the smallest size in patterns and do an FBA. Here I just cut that medium size.
DeleteI like the top. A picture on you? I like the idea of the Karan dress in linen. I can't see all of the seams in the photo but I don't think that it will that hard to petite or fba.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely top and that fabric!! Love it!
ReplyDeleteYou go girl!! Wear that top with pride. It's fantastic!
ReplyDeleteHumm, I'm not sure I know what ITY knits are (but I've sewn certain types of knit that drape beautifully and don't need ironing at all) but your top looks great!!!
ReplyDeleteHey, I own that OOP Vogue pattern too!!!
Hugs
love the top and the fabric wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHi there Bunny,
ReplyDeleteSo, you have gone and done it again!! I love your top, the pattern, the fabric, well everything........
and that from a self confessed plain fabric no pattern kind of girl. LOL.
I have just been trawling the internet and find that ITY only comes up in the usa.....I think you would say go figure??
I absolutely adore the different sleeve lengths; that is one of the features that I LOVE and yes I think I will be naughty and by the pattern, if you don't mind.
Can you tell us where you bought your material/fabric and then I can find out if they ship to the U.K. I wonder what it is known under in the U.K. If I search for poly/lycra sourced in the UK in the main they are plain colours and I feel that I would love to make this pattern up in well a patterned fabric.
I agree with others, please may we see you modelling this lovely number.
Hugs, Marysia.
I got the ITY knits from Fabric.com and purchased them through Amazon. Go to Amazon and search ITY knits and see what comes up. It was there this morning.
DeleteThere are poly ITYs and Rayon ITYs. HTHs.
Great looking knit top, Bunny. Glad you have seen the light on knits! There are a must for me and suit my lifestyle. Men! Aren't they easy? All I have to do is make something form-fitting and my DH is full of compliments!! DKNY pattern is cute -- and it will be darling out of linen. Can't wait to see.
ReplyDeleteLove the top - the fabric is just perfect for that style! I must admit that I am a big fan of sewing with knits - although I like sewing with wovens as well! I have that DKNY pattern and cannot wait to see how you petite it - because I am short myself and really want to make that dress! I strongly suspect that you are doing the thinking work for me.
ReplyDeleteLove your top! Some ity fabrics definitely need something to help the stitches behave when hemming. Great notion to use :)
ReplyDelete