Hi Everyone!
It’s been a hot second since I blogged here! My name is Ruth and I’ve been sewing my own clothes for a little under 8 years. One of my favourite things about sewing my own clothes is the freedom I have to pick and choose styles, colours and shapes that excite me, rather than being stuck with whatever options are on the rack in the shops.
Lately however, the two have combined for me and I’ve found myself admiring dresses and tops on the high street with big puffy sleeves. After dreaming for weeks about outfits with big sleeve energy, I knew I had to translate my dreams into reality and I started trawling Instagram for pattern ideas.
There were lots of beautiful options, but I quickly narrowed my selection down to the gorgeous Chalk and Notch Patterns Wren Top – a button up top/dress pattern with a two pattern piece statement sleeve . Then I just needed to find the perfect fabric to show off the puffiness of the sleeves on the Wren Top.
I didn’t have to look far or long as Amanda @ The Sewcial Studio has the most gorgeous selection of fabrics to choose from and I quickly decided on the Lady McElroy Marlie Lawn Rainbow Clouds This has sold out now but check out all the other fabulous new Fabrics arriving.
The fabric arriving in the mail gave me the perfect motivation to trace off the Wren Top sewing pattern that I had bought a few months earlier (I use dust sheets from Poundland to trace off sewing patterns so that I have the original pattern in case my size changes at any point).
After an evening of tracing off the sewing pattern I was ready to cut out the project! This was my first time sewing with a Chalk and Notch Pattern and I was really impressed by the Wren Top pattern as it includes multiple sizes based on your bust measurements. This meant I was able to pick a size without needing to do any adjustments to fit ‘the girls’ into the top. I made up a size 12 with an A/B cup (Make sure you go off your measurements for this pattern and not the size of your bra as sewing bra cup sizes are different to the bra sizes you buy in stores!).
I sewed the Wren Top over about a week, with little bursts of sewing after work in the evenings. The top came together really quickly and the pattern instructions were really detailed and easy to follow. The button placket instructions were initially a little confusing
as they differed from other approaches I have used, but once I got sewing and followed the instructions it just worked all of a sudden.
The pattern also has you fold over all of the raw edges of the facings so that the top looks just as beautiful on the inside as the outside and means you don’t need an over-locker to finish off any of the seams because they are all enclosed.
The fabric sewed up beautifully and was easy to press and sew with. I am especially pleased by how well the fabric holds its shape in the sleeves – I am so happy with how this top worked out. I took the top for its first spin over the weekend and LOVED every second of
wearing it.
The fabric is bright and cheerful, and the sleeves are just the right size and shape. If you haven’t already, you should definitely make a Wren of your own!
Until next time,
Ruth
