Garment Designer Pattern/Top: finally finished...

Final Garment

Taking Care of Business with Creative Projects
The beginning of the ToDo/NewDo Challenge

Have you ever had a project sit, just waiting for a final step? Maybe it was the hem, or neck treatment.

Here is a top that has been hanging on the door of my studio for an embarrassing long time. I don't know what the hold-up was. Most likely it was life. All that was left was to put in the sleeves, add hems, and neck finish.

So, in support of getting things off of my 'To Do' list, I am completing some of the UFO's (unfinished objects) in my creative life.


This was the pattern for the top, created with Garment Designer software. This style has been around for a long time, but I still like it. 

Garment Designer pattern

For the fabric, I chose a funky knit, and I actually chose to use the wrong side of the fabric because I liked the fringed cut edges throughout. The knit is quite fluid.

My Sewing Order Rule of Thumb
As you might guess, when you create your own patterns, you have to figure out the sewing instructions/order. I have a simple rule of thumb which I often used as a mantra to my students.

Mantra
Sew as small as you can, as flat as you can, for as long as you can.

This means, sew as many things together as possible, in their small state (e.g. pockets onto skirt) before you start joining pieces. It also means keeping things flat (non 3-D) for as long as you can.

In this garment, I adopted the following order.

• Sew shoulder seams
• Attach neck treatment
• Sew side seams
• Insert sleeves (note: I could have done this on the flat also)
• Hems

I love my serger, so this was used in the process. 

The hem is simply a turned 1" hem.

Closeup of fabric and neck treatment

For the neckline, I used my old stand-by, an old Stretch-n-Sew technique of cutting a strip 4x the desired width, stitching it on, and wrapping it up and over, and behind the seam allowance, and top stitching or stitching in the ditch to secure it.














Finally, you can see how that extended side seam drapes and creates an asymmetrical look to the hem.






And so... I can now say that this project is....