Day Tripper Top by Shwin Designs

Hello! It has been a looong time between posts. It is such a crazy time of year for me at the moment. I'm lecturing again after having five years (!) off and it has thoroughly surprised me how much it is kicking my butt. Looking forward to the end of semester in two weeks!

I have been doing some sewing, just finding it hard to blog my makes. I made the Day Tripper Top by Shwin Designs about a month ago, out of a wool knit from Anna's stash that was originally from Tessuti.

I made a size small. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't need to adjust for length. I usually do, but I really like the length of this version. It is the perfect length for wearing with my Cue work pants. In this lovely wool knit it is also a very cosy and toasty top - almost like a jumper. I am seriously lacking things like this in my wardrobe. I actually had to purchase two wool jumpers (from Elk) to assist in keeping me warm. Melbourne has just gone through a cold snap (though it is pretty warm at the moment) and I was completely freezing.

 

I like how it dips down at the back - like a mullet top!

 

I did encounter one issue. When I attached the neck band, it gaped very badly. It stood up at the shoulder seams, making it look like a bad funnel neck. The neck band is a rectangle folded in two - I think this is why. I think it needs to be shaped. To fix it, I unpicked the neck band at the shoulder seams and essentially made a dart in the fabric to contour it to my neck. This worked on the whole - there is still room for improvement though.

The sleeves and hem are finished with bands - I think this makes it look nice and professional. I was going to do a twin-stitch around the neck, sleeves and hem bands but this wool knit is quite dense and spongy so I simply did a single row of stitching to secure the seam allowance. I think it only needs one row.

I really like this top and would recommend the pattern - on the proviso that you fix the neck band. I am tempted to make another, or maybe the Perri Pullover? Hard decision.

I'm in the thick of making my French Jacket and Ruthy's engagement party dress at the moment though, so all other winter sewing is on the back burner! What are you making?