Sailor Top by Fancy Tiger Crafts

Hi there, friends! Long time, no blog. Oh well. I’ve actually been sewing quite a bit, but not a lot of photos/blog posts have been happenings (obvs). I’m trying to remedy that. The problem is that I’ve finally reached that point where pretending that my pre-pregnancy clothing still fits is no longer an option. I’ve been sewing non-maternity clothes in my normal size so I can wear them AFTER the baby comes, but modeling them is…challenging.
I did, however, manage to photograph a few projects before my decision to stop looking like I was squeezing myself into 3-sizes-too-small clothing. First up is this Sailor Top by Fancy Tiger Crafts (paper version). (PDF version here.)

I LOVE this top because it’s easy and quick to sew, and it wears like a t-shirt. No really, I wore it all day the day after I sewed it, and I even napped in it. It also withstood a day of chasing around toddlers.

The fabric I used is khadi cotton from Pendleton that I purchased at their annual Black Friday sale. It was normally $30/yard, and I got it for half price! It only took a yard and a half since it’s 54″ wide. I actually found it on the Pendleton site as a ready-to-wear piece because I couldn’t tell what direction the print was supposed to go. Interestingly, I ended up cutting it perpendicular to the selvage since the subtle stretch went in the direction of the selvage. I’ve never had to do that before.

I cut a medium thinking I could still get a few weeks‘ days’ wear out of it (and still be able to wear it after the baby comes without looking uber-frumpy). It’s perfect…like, perfect perfect – any smaller or larger, and it would be…well, too small or too large. That was, however, last week. I’m not so sure I can get into it anymore. As you can see, it did fit over my 19-week bump last week, but that’s going to be a literal stretch going forward. I’ll probably have to save this one for next summer. (For reference, I am 5’6″ and currently about 20 pounds over my normal 125-pound weight. I have broader, sloping shoulders and wear about a 34B-C bra. I’m telling you this in hopes I can make your size decision easier if you’re around my shape/stature!)

I made zero modifications to this top, and I used French seams at the sides. I worked really hard to do a nice stitch-in-the-ditch job around the neckline, and I’ve learned that slow and steady wins the race. It looks great – barely detectable. And no hand sewing! Score!

One other thing I learned from sewing this top is that Palmer Pletsch interfacing is THE BOMB. So much better than what I was using before for garments. I think most interfacings have their place, but the Palmer Pletsch version really worked with this fabric. It’s light but substantial and hasn’t puckered or bubbled at all in the wash. I used Perfect Fuse Light in White.

That’s about it! Stay tuned for more projects soonish. 🙂

Want some help making YOUR Sailor Top? Check out this class!