Last week I decided to make an Athina Top from Tessuti, inspired mainly by the #SewFrugal23 challenge on IG. I always enjoy sewing up free patterns & have had this one for a long time, but never made it. Now I have!
The Athina top is a boxy, oversized tunic kind of top, and I decided to make it from a bright highlighter yellow linen in my stash. I have a lot of this particular linen, and decided it would work nicely for this project. Looking online at some examples of others makes of this pattern, I noticed that quite a few people had added one angled patch pocket, apparently inspired by an Elisabeth Susann piece. I really like the look so copied it, freehanding a pocket slightly smaller than some of the other ones out there. It's my favourite thing about the top now!
This is quite oversized - I cut a medium, and added some extra width at the hip. But when I sewed it up, I ended up taking 3/4" out of each side, sort of narrowing up the sides until the underarm point. And I think that next time I make it, I will most likely take an inch out of the centre front and back, just to reduce the billowy effect of it! Made it a drapier fabric and a little bit smaller, it will look a bit more like the sample photos. But overall I like this, and despite the linen wrinkles I think I'll enjoy wearing it. I love yellow and this will go with so many of my current pieces.
What a cheery color, to brighten a gray Spring day.
ReplyDeleteThou shouldst NEVER worry about wrinkles in linen. That's how you -- and everyone who sees you wearing it -- can tell it is genuine linen.
I've lived through many decades when fabric store employees assure me, "We have acres and acres of linen!" then point me to acres and acres of polyester doubleknit "linen look." Blerg.
Yes, a very cheery colour! I do like linen, real linen, even if ironing is a constant, haha.
DeleteA lovely top! It looks very comfortable, and has it's own style. I do think the pocket makes it. Takes it a step above.
ReplyDelete.... Sara
Very comfy indeed. I am so glad I saw versions with the pocket to inspire me, because it really does top this one off. And it's very useful!
DeleteWhat a lovely color. Wearing a yellow top would definitely make me feel happy. I also had a lot of fun looking for and making up some free patterns for sewfrugal23 challenge.
ReplyDeleteI really do love yellow! I have more of this linen so will definitely be making something else at some point.
DeleteI enjoyed looking through the various free patterns already in my stash and could have made a wide variety. I love this challenge because it is a great reminder of all the wonderful free designs out there that make our sewing more affordable.
For linen that doesn’t wrinkle as much I use the Sandra betzina method for pre wash. It totally works. Hot dry iron before washing then wash on hot and dry at highest heat until bone dry. Then iron again before cutting out. It takes some time but I find it so worth it.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I remember hearing about this method but haven't tried it yet. Next time I buy some linen I will totally give this a go!
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