I never wear blue. Probably the last time there was anything blue in my wardrobe when I was in a local sorority, Tyes, at Florida Technological University (now University of Central Florida) and our colors were blue and gold. I made a blue jumper for a rush party. (Wait for it … you know the photo is to follow.)

For the next year I will be serving as campaign treasurer for my friend, Michele Lepore Hagan, who is running for the Ohio House of Representatives seat her husband, Bob Hagan, is vacating. I went with Michele to the Mahoning County Board of Elections office to file her paperwork declaring her intent to run, and—in my best patriotic intention—wore my favorite red sweater. My friend, who served as Bob’s campaign treasurer, said, “You can’t wear read. That’s the Republicans’ color.” Well, duh. So I came home and started looking for something blue-but-not-too-blue.

I found this blue rayon print at GorgeousFabrics.com and grabbed enough to make another version of Katherine Tilton’s Vogue 8817. I’ve done this top before; here is a list of the blog posts. The fabric is very soft and cotton-y feeling. This will be a great three-seasons top.

Review:

Pattern Description: Close-fitting, pullover top has neck binding, seam detail, stitched hems, contrast variations, and optional double needle topstitching and silk screen motifs. A and B: sleeve bands. B:lower front cut on crosswise grain of fabric. D: purchased trim. Note: included are Katherine Tilton’s instructions for silk screening. This is view C/D.

Pattern Sizing: B5(8-10-12-14-16), F5(16-18-20-22-24) This is my fourth or fifth go-round with this pattern. I am 5’8″ and 38DD – I make no alterations in the pattern and love it as it is.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

Fabric Used: Rayon/lycra knit from Gorgeous Fabrics.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I cut the back a little shorter and straighter — left the length of the side seam as is and just straightened out the back a little.

I cut the middle front piece lengthwise along the selvedge, which was the darkest blue in the print.

The next time I make this top, I’ll do a vertical-only FBA, so the front won’t pull up. But really, if you don’t want to do an FBA, it’s fine as is.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Absolutely yes – five times yes!

Conclusion: Easy, flattering top with two very different versions – both equally flattering and easy to make. Looks good in a variety of fabrics.

See the full write-up on my blog, with photos and links to the other versions.

Here’s a view of the back. I wish the Spousal Equivalent had gotten the hem, but one must take what she can get when relying on the kindness of housemates. I like how the hem dips down a little on the sides after my slicing a little off the back.

That guy on my shoulder in the picture is Angel, whose disposition is anything but angelic. He is part Maine Coon and lives life on his own terms. “Pet me twice. If you pet me a third time, I will attempt to bite your hand off.”

I’ll be wearing this top to our next campaign event. I guess any blue is better than my fave red sweater. Oh, well. Politics is not about fashion, right?

And, here’s my Tyes rush costume, circa 1969:

Remember my guinea pig shirt? That was the Sandra Betzina t-shirt I made when I could find no reviews of the pattern, so didn’t really know what I was getting into.

I had bought enough of that fabric that I would be able to make (or help make) a top for DGD, who—sadly—has already passed out of her “I’m going to be a fashion designer when I grow up” phase. <Insert very sad face emoticon here>. And wouldn’t you know it…I (or she) chose another pattern for which there were no reviews. However, this pattern was a complete piece o’ cake, given the number of knit tops I’ve made over the past ten months.

This is McCall’s 6787, cute as it can be.

Pattern Description: GIRLS’/GIRLS’ PLUS DRESSES, TUNIC, BELT AND LEGGINGS: Pullover dresses and tunic have front gathered into neck binding, elasticized (seamed) waist, and narrow hem. A: peplum, and sleeves gathered at cap and into sleeve binding. B, C and D: belt, bow B. Overlay C and lower edge D: shaped hemline. Leggings have elastic waist, and no side seams. All have narrow hem. I made View D.

Pattern Sizing: Combinations: GIRL(7-8-10-12-14), PLS(101/2-121/2-141/2-161/2) I cut a 14.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Very easy.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? Well-written instructions. Well-thought-out design. Very, very stylish for the elementary school crowd.

Fabric Used: For the body, a Missoni-esque ITY fabric that I picked up at Vogue Fabrics’ booth at the Pittburgh Original Sewing & Quilt Expo. For the sleeves, a great nylon/acetate/lycra that Ann Steeves at Gorgeous Fabrics calls Swiss 4-way stretch. Ann’s description is right-on: It will be a mainstay of your wardrobe.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: None, although that was a boo-boo. DGD is 10yo, and has the body of a 10yo, but she has the height of a 14yo. I should measure her every time I start making something, as she’s growing like the proverbial weed. Last May I made a dress for her end-of-year activities. I cut a 16 and had to take it in to 14 in the chest. So I thought I could cut a 14 in this top. But, that dress had a raised waist. I didn’t have to worry about back waist length. I should have worried about back waist length on this top.

Changes I did make: put a strip of interfacing at the back shoulder to stabilize that seam; put a 5/8″ strip of soft interfacing along the hemline and at the sleeve hem. This gives me a much smoother finish with the double needle technique.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, with alterations for back waist length. Highly recommend.

Conclusion: Very easy, very cute, very appealing to young girls. If you’ve got a young girl in your life, and you like working with knits or even want to try working with knits, this is a great pattern!

The bottom line for DGD was that she loved it. She declared it very comfy and didn’t mind that the waist was a little high on her. She popped it over a pair of black leggings I had grabbed off the shelf at Wal-mart, wrapped the self-belt around the [raised] waist and did a twirl for me.

Don’t you love success stories?!

If I had to tell elucidate my most reassured wardrobe possessions, these Eileen Fisher silk tanks would be right at the top. I own three of them in black, plus one in cream, and a similar EF cap-sleeved t-shirt in red. Some were bought on sale but, truthfully, I paid full price for at least one. I wear the black tanks as a man wears undershirts. They allow me to wear my favorite cashmere sweaters longer between washings or visits to the dry cleaner; they smooth out bra lines under knit tops; they provide an extra layer of warmth and comfort on a cold day, they enable me to pack fewer outer layers for international travel. They feel like I’ve slipped a thin cloud between my skin and my clothes. When I’m traveling, I wash them with two drops of shampoo in the sink, wring out in a towel, hang them in the bathroom on an inflatable hanger, and in less than two hours, they’re dry. They roll up to nothing in the suitcase. They are, quite simply, a brilliant purchase.

So every time Marcy Tilton asks her devoted students and followers what fabric they’d like her to stock in her online store, I quickly email or post three words to her: “black silk knit.”

And she heard my pleas. Marcy has stocked a black silk knit in her online fabric store. As soon as she posted it, with no project in mind, I raced to buy a length of it.

When it arrived in my mailbox, I tore the package open and began petting. This is a must-buy fabric. This is a wardrobe staple.

What should you make? Oh, maybe Katherine Tilton’s Butterick 5925 to wear with a pair of satin skinny pants and your favorite blingy necklace or chandelier earrings for holiday parties. Maybe a long roomy tee to sleep in. Or a tank like all my EF tanks, but at half the price and with a perfect fit, because you tailored it to your own body.

Whatever you choose, you will be glad you bought the silk, and you’ll want more. I gar-ahn-TEE it, as the Men’s Wearhouse guy says.

Of course. That’s what you’ll say when I tell you I decided around 2:00 yesterday afternoon to make Just One More Top for the trip.

I wanted to try Katherine Tilton’s Butterick 5961 one more time. I still had some of the peacock RPL from my View C. I had also gotten some “army green” of the same fabric. Their army green is really closer to an avocado.

So I made View A/B and cut it two inches longer.

To counteract the floppiness of the collar, I took the lightweight interfacing that I had used for the hems on View C, tugged to see where it had the most stretch, and cut a full collar out of that and fused to the collar. Because it wasn’t a true bias, the collar came out wonky, which I really like. I

I also cut a 1.5″ strip of the teal the same length as the collar and drew lines on it with a lime Fabrico pen. I folded it and basted to one long edge of the collar, so it peeks out of that seam. You have to invade my personal space to see the stripes, but I know they’re there.

Finally, to finish tying the teal and green together, I cut a little strip and sewed it onto the left sleeve 2″ above the hem, using the double needle to topstitch the edges and the center.

The top feels a little big on me even thought I cut my normal 16. If you’re using a soft knit with a lot of stretch, you might go down a size.

And now it’s time to board the plane for Frankfurt. Tschüß!

Here’s a second take on Katherine Tilton’s Butterick 5961. I made the first one on Saturday and blogged about it here.

I wanted some more black for tops, and picked up a nylon/acetate/lycra Swiss 4-way stretch at Gorgeous Fabrics. Ann’s description is accurate—”it’s a joy to sew.”

I liked my sweatery teal tunic so much I decided to try the shorter version. I have ordered a pair of those new leggings-with-attached-skirt that one sees everywhere nowadays and thought the length of View A/B would be just right with that. I dipped into my knit remnants basket and came up with a mottled gray knit that feels like a lightweight sweatshirt and has cutouts revealing the black mesh underneath. I previously used it here. As luck would have it, I had enough in the stash for sleeves and a collar for this new top.

My suggestion when putting in the sleeve is to do the sleeve cap, stopping at the small circle. Break your stitching, then clip the corner on the front and back to the reinforcing stitching, pin the sleeve from the small circle down to the side seam. By stopping the stitching this way, I got a very clean angle at that point.

Because of how insignificant the mock-turtle was on the teal sweatery fabric, I added two inches to the height of this collar. I didn’t need to do that, but I do like the result. Lesson learned: If you want a collar to stand up, you’ve got to have some substance for it to do so.

My hems on sleeve and bottom are crisp and clean because of the 1″ strip of lightweight interfacing fused to the edges before folding and double-needle stitched with wooly nylon in the bobbin.

That’s it! Quick. Easy. Fun.

I wore the teal tunic on a twelve-hour run-out to Manhattan yesterday for a performance with the Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus at Avery Fisher Hall. It was so comfortable for the plane ride. Several friends noticed it and commented on the unique sleeveline. (Only one picture today, as I drove into my garage at 3:02 this morning, and I need to go vote and run to Jo-Ann’s for a zipper.)

Spousal Equivalent is telling me I need to stop making things to pack and actually pack some things. Liftoff for more concerts in Europe is in three days. 😮

I highly recommend Butterick 5961, and tip my hat to Katherine Tilton for the pattern and to Ann Steeves for this great black knit. (The gray knit came from Marcy Tilton’s superb online fabric store, but has been out of stock for a year. Keep your eyes open, or pick up an Alabama Chanin book and make your own fabric for a treatment like this.)

When I made Katherine Tilton’s Butterick 5925 top (blogged here and here), I fell in love with the RPL (Rayon-Poly-Lycra blend) fabric. I raced over to Gorgeous Fabrics and grabbed two more pieces, one in Peacock and one in Army Green.

I expected these two pieces to have the same hand as the red RPL. I prewashed, and then last night, when cutting out Katherine Tilton’s Butterick 5961, I realized the hand was very different. And still wonderful.

This top, which is slated to go to Germany with me next Friday, feels very similar to a lovely lightweight cashmere twin-set I got from Talbot’s about five years ago. “Cozy” is the word that comes to mind. I love this fabric, and have enough to go quickly make something else out of it. (The Jazzman tells me I need to stop sewing and start packing, but I’m determined!)

Here’s the formal review:

Pattern Description:
MISSES’ TOP AND PANTS: Very loose-fitting, pullover top has collar and shaped armholes. Collar B: cut on crosswise grain. Fitted, tapered pants have side front and side back seams, topstitching and back zipper. D: cuffs. A, B, C and E: stitched hems. I made View C.

Pattern Sizing: B5(8-10-12-14-16), F5(16-18-20-22-24). I cut my standard Tilton 16.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? Katherine has hit the ball out of the park with this top. I sewed it right up without checking anything and it’s perfect!

Fabric Used: RPL from GorgeousFabrics.com. Please note: This is a very soft fabric, so the collar doesn’t stand up at all. If you want a more mock turtle look, choose a heavier or heftier fabric.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

1. I topstitched the shoulder seam, which I normally do on Tilton tops. (The pattern does not tell you to topstitch.) However, after trying the top on I noticed the shoulder seam sits forward, and it would have been nicer if I had omitted it.
2. Cut 1″ strips of lightweight fusible interfacing and fused to sleeve and bottom hems for a clean fold. Then topstitched with double needle and wooly nylon in bobbin. Perfect.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? As soon as I publish this post, I’m going downstairs to cut another!

Conclusion: Make it. Wear it. Love it!! Thanks, Katherine.

And how convenient that this peacock fabric perfectly matches the cowl I made after recovering from my broken wrist. It’s perfect with this floppy mock-turtle neck.

(And I apologize for the lack of image quality in the pics. It’s a very gray day in NE Ohio, and light isn’t to be found anywhere!.)