adult's clothing, sewing

In-House Patterns Kimono Tee

This pattern was on my Pinterest board of “pattern ideas” for a little while, but not a long while – my “buy it now” finger got too itchy one Friday night after work and a glass of wine!  I was rather certain that this was a pattern that would suit me.  And yes, I think that the finished product bears that out!

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The pattern description from the website says: This is the perfect pattern for quick sewing and easy wear. Designed specifically for knit fabrics and a D bust cup, this top features a contrast lace yoke, front bodice gathering, and flattering “V” neckline. The extended shoulder line and easy fitting bodice will keep you cool and stylish all summer long. The top also features a centre front and centre back seam for added interest and gives you the option to make this a colour block style. This is a multi-size downloadable PDF sewing pattern in women’s sizes XS – XL. This pattern is great for a beginner; an expert will find it a breeze!

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I took a punt on sizing and cut out size Medium, even though my bust measurement was more like the Large. The pattern is designed for a D cup – and I’m a C cup – so I figured that there would be enough ease in the finished design to accommodate and the Medium would be better around my upper chest and shoulders. I didn’t make any alterations to the pattern at all, and am very pleased with the fit.  The gathers are a lovely feature and help it to sit just right.  I used both the sewing machine and the overlocker during construction.

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And yes, it was easy to construct. I used the last scraps of my Tessuti Jaywalk fabric, and barely managed to get the front and back pieces out of them. The back is actually pieced together! The top has a centre front and centre back seam, but both could be left out if you like and the pattern cut on the fold (although the V-shaped neckband is definitely easier to attach with that centre front seam). The yoke is from some black pleather (pleather – a fancy word for FAKE LEATHER made out of some type of polyurethane, I suspect) that was in the stash. I wore this on the weekend with black Style Arc Elle pants and my Collette Dinnigan scarf (made by buying a length of fabric then hemming the edges on the overlocker) and felt very smart!

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And yes, there is already another Kimono Tee cut out…