These days I am wearing a lot of sweaters and cardigans, and what I really want underneath is a nice top in a silky, drapey fabric. Something simple that sits well on the body, with or without sleeves, that you can dress up or keep plain. So this session was about making a base pattern for exactly that.

Rather than drafting from a block, I took a sleeveless V-neck top in rayon that already fits me very well around the neckline, the sides and the way it drapes, and traced it into a pattern. Then I changed the parts I wanted to change and tested it in two very different fabrics: a woven on the bias and a knit.

Before that, we looked at a member’s trouser pattern and fitting photos, and I showed a couple of fabrics I want to make something a bit wild with before winter is over.

What We Covered:

• Reviewed a member’s trouser fitting from photos. The leg fit was good for a base block, with a little bagginess behind the hip and some bunching between the thighs.
• Suggested dropping the crotch about an inch at the inner leg, front and back by the same amount, and sewing it first to check rather than cutting. If it sits too low, bring it back up a quarter or half inch.
• Explained that the inner leg curves of the front and back must match in length and shape, even though the back is wider. One curved and one straight gives a poor line.
• For a closer fit, straightened the side seam slightly from the end of the hip curve down to the knee line, and no more than that, since the crotch change also takes in some room.
• Showed a double faced fabric, crinkled and shiny on the outside with a woolly inside, and talked through ideas for it: a large bag, a jacket, or the favourite from the chat, a bomber jacket.
• Laid the sleeveless top flat on paper, found and marked the centre front, pinned it straight, and traced the outline with a tracing wheel. This is how you can take a pattern from any top or t-shirt you love without cutting it open.
• Shortened the length by about an inch, following the original hem line.
• Widened the strap about an inch towards the shoulder tip, so it covers the bra line and fills in the curved area at the front of the armhole.
• Showed how to check the length on your own body: measure from the middle of the shoulder to where you want the top to end and compare with the pattern. A centimetre either way is fine, especially in a knit that drops a little.
• Added an extra inch of length to the first sample just in case, with notches at the intended hem so the extra is easy to remove.
• Explained how to self-line the top: make the outer piece about half a centimetre larger and the lining about one centimetre smaller overall, with a slightly smaller neckline on the lining so the seams roll inside and the outer layer lies smooth.
• Used the same pattern for the front and the back, since the top is not closely fitted. The original back was straight, and I want to curve it later.
• Explained that a bias cut piece cannot go on a regular fold. Lay it flat on the 45 degree bias, or fold the fabric along the bias itself so the straight grain and cross grain meet.
• Added a 1 cm seam allowance and talked about binding the neck and armholes with a bias strip if the top is a single layer.
• Cut the first sample on the bias in a polyester chiffon, which is stiffer than silk and has less bias stretch, and the second in a red rayon jersey.
• Sewed the chiffon side seams with a straight stitch at stitch length 3, without stretching the fabric at all and pinning closely because the bias starts to stretch straight away.
• Tried the chiffon sample on. It hung well with no bust dart needed, and after letting out the extra length allowance the length was right. If it works in a stiff chiffon, it will work even better in a softer silk or georgette.
• Sewed the jersey sample on the overlocker without the blade cutting, so it came out slightly larger than the pattern. After the fitting I shortened it and decided to take the underarm in by 1 cm, blending back to the original line further down.
• Talked about doubling the very thin jersey so it looks and feels more luxurious.
• Showed how to adapt the base pattern: lengthen it into a dress and curve the sides in a little, shorten it for wide leg trousers, or raise the neckline into a boat neck or crew neck.

Questions & Answers:

• Q: The gold fabric would make a good bomber jacket, wouldn’t it?
• A: I think so too, a bomber jacket is where my head went as well. It is a project I want to make before the new year.
• Q: Does the jersey version look a bit tight under the arm?
• A: It does, partly because the armhole is not finished yet. I left a 1 cm seam allowance there and also added to that area on the pattern. In this thin jersey I would make it 1 cm tighter right under the arm and blend it back to the same line below, because I like the fit lower down as it is.

So now I have a base pattern for a V-neck sleeveless top that works on the bias in a woven and in a viscose or rayon jersey, as long as you take a little care sewing the shoulders and the underarm.

Next we are going to use this base pattern to create some tops with creative folds and drape details. There is a short break first, and when I am back we will continue from here.