Pattern Review: Gable Top

I realised the other day that I never reviewed the Gable top pattern.  Better late than never!  Also, it means that I have lots of experience in wearing it! Details Pattern name: Gable Top Variation/Style: View 3 without the cuff Design House: Jennifer Lauren Handmade Size I made: 12 Fabric Stripey stretch fabric remnant from The Knitting & Stitching Show in 2017. Difficulty This is a really simple top to make consisting of only 4 pieces of fabric.  The main challenge for me was the fabric I chose as it was very stretchy.  You may wish to take extra care on the neckline, which I would argue is the trickiest part. Clarity It is very simple although I did get a bit confused at the neckline.  However, Jennifer Lauren has a video to help you on this to use in tandem with the written instructions. Design and Fit The top has come out quite tight.  I am not sure if this is the pattern or the fabric (or both).  I am not used to wearing very fitted garments so this is probably where most of my discomfort stems from!  It's also very long but I may have stretched it or the fabric I have chosen has encouraged this.  I will have to see how much negative ease the pattern has if I make it again. Design-wise, it is the perfect staple to go under a pinafore or dungarees - such as the Ivy Pinafore by Jennifer Lauren! Time Taken I'd say you can make this in half a day.  It's very simple and super quick if you don't have any stripe matching to do! Conclusion This version feels a bit too fitted for me so I will probably make it in a larger size next time, or perhaps choose a different fabric which is not so clingy.  However, I have worn it lots with my pinafore collection (yes, it has turned into a collection... expect more pinafore reviews!) https://youtu.be/hWdOmArkQ5o

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Cosy Winter – the Ivy pinafore

I've been enjoying a bit of dressmaking this month and am finally cutting into some fabrics I bought in one go for numerous projects.  One piece of fabric was some navy polka dot cotton bought especially for the ivy pinafore pattern by Jennifer Lauren. One worry I had at the very beginning was that I didn't have enough fabric.  The pattern for view 1 advises to purchase 150cm wide fabric, and my own fabric was 115cm after pre-washing.  However, my fabric did not have a one way nap or design, so i was able to re-jig the cutting layout plan, which reduced fabric waste as well.  I may have enough to make a tote bag too at some point! I still have my stash of ceramic buttons from taking pottery classes last year, and have only used one so far, so I wanted to use some of these if possible for the fastenings.  The pattern suggests larger buttons, and I was worried that they wouldn't be big enough.  However, I left worrying about this until the button hole stage came up, and decided that my own buttons would work well.  It's a real buzz to see my own handmade buttons on a garment! I selected a traditional lining fabric for the lining, as I wanted this make to work well with tights, leggings or jeggings.  It was a little tricky to work with, and I ended up hemming the lining by hand, but I think it means I will get a lot more use out of it! It's a real joy to wear this garment.  It's loose fittings with seam pockets, which makes it a great lazy Sunday wear when all I want to do is sit in my rocking chair and knit or crochet with a cup of tea!  I can imagine wearing it out on a walk too, when I am on the hunt for discarded rusty items to use when rust dyeing!  It's definitely a make reserved for my days off! I'll have to try out the gable top sometime soon as I only have one top that goes nicely with this pinafore!  The gable top has a high neckline, which works well with this style of pinafore.  Looks like I will be getting the walking foot and ball point needles out very soon!

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