It’s Time to Sew || Itch to Stitch Blog Tour 2018

I’m the first stop on the Itch to Stitch Blog Tour featuring Mabel Madison and Surge Fabric Shop and I’m so excited to share these tops with you!  Don’t forget to read to the end of the post, where I will give you the deets on the sales and special offers associated with this tour, as well as how you can enter to win some amazing prize packages!

Ever since I decided to participate in this tour, I’ve been dreaming of some shirts for fall.  My little family of three is planning a move north, and my closet in South Carolina is seriously lacking in longer sleeved shirts.  We actually anticipated this move to happen in August, and when it didn’t, I (mostly) breathed a sigh of relief. It’s nice to have more time to prepare for winter.

For my first top, I chose this drop dead gorgeous floral modal french terry from Mabel Madison.  It does (indeed) have 4-way stretch! I’m a sucker for florals, and up until this point had never seen one something so luxurious! This fabric is even softer than those Art Gallery Knits I tend to covet.

I paired it with the Hepburn Turtleneck.  This form-fitting top is really designed for jerseys.  Because I was using a french terry, I decided to size up to an XS, and I am SO glad I did! It fits perfectly. The only adjustments I made were for height and grading out at the waist. 

I didn’t end up keeping the turtleneck pattern piece. The first neckband I cut and sewed tried to strangle me.  I made the next neckband longer, and it still barely fit over my head. So, I cut my losses (literally) and re-shaped the neckline using the Idyllwild’s neckline.  I decided a french terry maybe wasn’t the best thing for the neckband, so I used a lightweight modal/spandex jersey from my stash.  I sewed the neckband at 1/4″ seam allowance, so it’s a taller band than the Idyllwild’s.  It’s the perfect long sleeved tee for fall! I can picture myself wearing this as a base layer under sweaters and coats.  If you like the Hepburn, but can’t do turtlenecks, consider using the cowl from the Bellavista Top.  It’s sure to add some drama!

My second top for the blog tour is the Idyllwild Top.  There are very few t-shirt patterns that are truly designed for 2-way stretch, and this is one of them. (You can also use a 4 way stretch jersey.)  I used a poly/linen/jersey from Surge Fabric Shop. I haven’t used many 2-way stretch knits in my sewing because most of my patterns are designed for at least 30% lengthwise stretch.  I have since learned that these less stretchy knits are perfect t-shirt knits and will skim over your body without clinging to your body like a 4 way tends to do.

This fabric is softer than some other triblend jerseys in my stash.  I love the heathered weave! I constructed this top in haste the night before we were to evacuate for Hurricane Florence.  I realized (too late) that I had no matching thread to coverstitch my hems. With no fabric stores open for hundreds of miles, I decided to try using light grey.  I’m shocked, it looks better than white would have. Score!

My new Idyllwild is perfect for a (sometimes cooler than summer) Carolina fall, while the Hepburn will be great for  really cold days.  I’m really looking forward to the change in season and *hopefully* I’ll have time to crank out a few Mountain View Pull-On Jeans to make complete outfits!

*Blog Tour Offers:

All of the Itch to Stitch patterns showcased today in the blog tour are on sale!! If you don’t already own these patterns grab them while they are on SALE today only, the Idyllwild top and Dress and the Hepburn Turtleneck for only $7.

Mabel Madison is offering $10 off a $50 order with the code ITSTOUR through September 30th.

 

Ready for all the great tour details?!  Read on to meet all the incredible bloggers and sponsors and how you can win some amazing prize packs!