The plan, to concentrate on the Me Made May assessment, and do any minor fixes as I find them, continued. But I'm also trying to move Unfinished Objects (UFOs) to the Finished or Remodelled list.
I'm counting the green French Terry jacket as a May project, although it was started last October, remodelled starting in April, and finally assessed as a failed UFO. It had a miscut back neckline, a tendency to duck tail, and I simply felt swamped and uncomfortable in the boxy cut. I decided to unpick it and see if the fabric could be pieced and reused. A skirt wasn't going to work, but I'm still short of mild weather layers. Are these called overs or toppers nowadays? I want something that can be fastened for warmth at centre front in the mornings and evenings, but can be opened up when warm with scurrying, or if the weather improves as the day moves on.
Unable to quickly* find a pattern with deep set in sleeves (there are plenty of raglan or drop shoulder around but I'm not yet working on fitting them), I decided to trace an old black pj top and add a front fastening. Various adjustments for a first attempt. I've kept the nice detail of a small bodice extension before joining the sleeves, which have a wide and shallow sleeve cap, the kind I usually see in toddler knits. A few fitting changes at the shoulders, plus I've given myself an additional quarter inch at high hip, 1" total extra ease.
* Rant. Of course I've stumbled across two or three candidates since. But I'm rubbish at guessing search terms. 'Tops sew pattern' really doesn't help narrow down the options, set-in doesn't seem to be indexed on the search engines.
I pieced fabric big enough for the sleeves from the dismantled dropped shoulders version and some scraps, zigzagged in an arc at back neck. Unfortunately, the horizontal seam affects the drape - shame, cos I've been fantasising about lower waste layouts for the next version. Unhappy about both the the wider-than-anticipated-neckline and the backward shoulder creep, I tried a centre back/neck dart. And hey presto, fit and drape improved no end. I've added buttons but not buttonholes at the front. Will probably just add press-studs for now. Not a spectacular rescue, perhaps I'll replace the sleeves now I've found the missing remnant, but certainly better than its predecessor.
One extra thing happened towards the end of the month. If this is an indoor to outdoor layer, it needs pockets. I spent ages pinning rectangles in different proportions to try find a phone-friendly size. No luck since I simply don't have a flat front, or a large enough area that approximates a flat front. Keys, tickets and a few coins or a note will go in, but will have to take a bag for my phone. Since that functional requirement couldn't be met, I subbed in the pockets from Tilly and the Buttons Stella Hoodie. Well, divided the kangaroo pocket into two, then lined and stitched both on. Yet again, I need more practice to stop it looking amateurish.
I've worn this a couple of times for coastal or woodland walks. It's much more comfy than RTW, and practical around the house and on the dunes. The bad news: it looks lumpy and miserable. It'll do temporarily. Next time (and I have another length of French terry in brown,) let's revise the high back and shoulder shaping, which is not far out. Try sleeves without piecing so I can assess where the excess is, and maybe add a smidge at high hip. Narrow the neckband: it doesn't have the tension of a continuous front to keep it tidy at the overlap. Raise the neckline to compensate, and maybe a bit more to cover the assorted tee shirts that show awkwardly (most of them). Or just continue refining my tee necklines outward and downwards, which is happening anyway..
Wish me luck!
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