Skip to main content

Simply Sienna Top: Sinclair Patterns Sewn With Simply By Ti Fabric

I call this hairstyle: Sea Salt Spray Failure. 
I do not look beachy-fresh. 
I look slightly frazzled. 

Fortunately, my new top is fabulous!
This is the Sienna Drawstring Knit Doloman Top from Sinclair Patterns. The Sienna was free for about a month or so with a code in the Sinclair Patterns FB group, and naturally, I snatched it up. 

Pattern Details

 Sienna is a casual top with cut-on doloman sleeves in 2 lengths: Short like mine, or 3/4. It also features a banded neckline, cuffs and some crazy fun side tie rouching. 
This pattern has been getting tons of love in the Sinclair FB Group, and there was a video sew along for it recently as well. I won't reinvent the wheel here; you can pop into the Sinclair Sew Alongs Group and find the videos by searching #SewSienna. 

Along my journey to fine-tune my self fitting skills, I've discovered that I have a small shoulder joint and that I often benefit from shortening tops between my high bust and neckline. This can be a major PIA for tops with sleeves. My most favorite thing about Sinclair Patterns is that they have a Petite, Regular and Tall draft. I am able to choose the Petite draft and avoid having to make that upper chest/sleeve cap adjustment!  

Fabric & Construction Notes

I used a delightful baby French terry from Simply By Ti. Yes, I made a French terry short sleeved top in May. Don't judge me, I live in Michigan. This is the second time I've used the Simply By Ti baby French terry and I love it just as much as the first. It's mostly rayon with a little polyester and spandex in there to balance it out. What you end up with is a crazy soft fabric that drapes beautifully, doesn't cling or wrinkle and keeps it's shape even when you sleep in it, then have to run to the grocery in the morning but are too lazy to change your clothes. (What, just me?)

About the Draw Strings

The thought of turning out tiny tubes of French terry made me hesitate on my choice just a bit. I considered just using ribbon or something pre-made, but I was feeling the need to not buy anything for this top. (Use what you have, Crystal.) Everyone knows that a trip to Joann's "just for drawstring ribbon" will end up costing me $40 in impulse purchases.
 So, I did something crazy: I made drawstrings. I used the serger trick where you run a long thread tail which gets sandwiched into the fold of the string. Then you pull nice and gently to flip it right side out.

It ended up being so easy that I was convinced it was too good to be true. The width of the tie is not a super skinny spaghetti size, and that really helped. Plus, this fabric is incredibly well behaved. There's no slinking and sliding as it goes through the serger.

Look, I Cover Stitched Something That's Not Jeans!

For the first time, I successfully cover stitched a neckband into place. No skipped stitches, the tension is right and it's not stretched out or distorted. I'm really quite proud.

Where Can You Find Yours?

While the pattern is no longer free, you can purchase a copy of Sienna Drawstring Knit Doloman Top from Sinclair Patterns HERE
You can purchase this baby French terry fabric, by the yard, from Simply By Ti HERE
I'm still working out how to wear leggings... these are clearly too big.


Comments

  1. I love everything about this! Your serger tubes is a brilliant hack. This shirt was just meant to be!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really was meant to be! Still can't believe I had zero issues and only had to make my standard 1/2 forward shoulder for this to fit.

      Delete
  2. Fab top! It's such an easy style to wear. Your leggings actually don't look too small to me from the photos (but of course you know best when they fall off you).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Easy to wear is definitely what I'm in the mood for right now! The leggings are just a smidge too baggy at the crotch and the knee, so I'm sizing down, and that should fix it. I'll be posting about my leggings in a couple weeks!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Perfect Vacation Pants, The Itch-To-Stitch Sequoia Cargos

I'm back at it with the pants again! Itch-To-Stitch has a new pattern this week: Sequoia Cargos & Shorts . It's still winter here, so I'm sharing the long pants option today. I'm taking a long weekend trip this March, and I need to start sewing a vacation capsule to pack. For the last 15 years or so, my friend has taken a casino bus trip with a few dozen of her teaching colleages. A few years back, her husband decided he no longer wanted to go, and I've volunteered to be her Plus One for the third year in a row. We will be getting on a bus super early on a Saturday and driving 6 hours or so over the Mackinac Bridge to the U.P. The ride up is filled with chatter and drinking and games, and we all have loads of fun. Then the next two days are filled with more food & drink, card games & slots. I'm not much of a gambler; I'd rather spend my dollars on a Pina Colada than a pull of the slot handle, but I find plenty of ways to enjoy myself. N

Meet My New BFFF: Breaking Ground With Mountain View Pull On Jeans From Itch-To-Stitch

Finding perfect jeans is like finding a unicorn....  Do YOU have unicorn in your back yard?  Yeah. Me either. What I DO have is the newest Itch-To-Stitch Designs pattern release: Mountain View Pull On Jeans , and they are my new BFFF! They MIGHT even be unicorn jeans... Breaking Ground is mostly about trying new-to-you designers,  but you can also twist it to be a new-to-you technique, style or other such personal challenge.  Obviously, Itch-to-Stitch is NOT new to me, but the concept of pull on pants as everyday wear is, and it's a trend I've tried to avoid for a long time! Pull on pants are for yoga and sleeping, right? My personal rule is no lounge pants outside the house, unless I'm ACTUALLY going somewhere to exercise. (SNORT)  Wearing pull on pants or leggings as real pants (that look terrific) is how I'm Breaking Ground for myself! Pattern Details Mountain View Pull On Jeans gives you just about everything you find in a traditiona

When A Pattern Test Goes Pear Shaped: Saving My ITS Danube Jean Skirt

Every now and then, I have a project where every decision I make is wrong, and I have to battle tooth & nail to get to the end. Itch-To-Stitch recently released the Danube Jean Skirt . I love everything about the design of this skirt: slim fitting, DENIM, wind friendly, go-with-everything casual, sits at the natural waist, side slits for something fun and less formal. I was very excited to jump into the testing phase. I had a couple heavier non stretch twill fabrics in my stash suitable for muslins... and exactly 1 piece of non stretch denim which I earmarked for my final skirt. In The Beginning The first muslin revealed the need for some fine tuning, something that should be expected during the testing phase. V2 for the pattern was distributed and my second muslin came together quickly. I got exactly what I expected. A pretty well-fitting skirt except for my prominent full seat which was pulling all my fabric out of whack. No big deal, right? I've had this issue for