Vera Knit Top

I’ve been trying to be more adventurous with knit fabric. I came across this floral stretch crepe jersey fabric from The Fabric Store Online which has a beautifully fine texture with good drape. I bought a 125cm x 150cm wide piece which I thought would be lovely for the Vera Knit Top pattern from Forget Me Not patterns. I’ve been meaning to sew this lovely top featuring bishop sleeves using the long cuff option for a while and finding the perfect fabric has prompted me again. One of the suggested fabrics was viscose knit which is why I thought the crepe jersey would be a good match. 

Forget Me Not has generously offered this as a free pattern to the sewing community and it includes all the detailed instructions that come with her other patterns. There are no short-cuts just because it’s a free pattern. It is a great way to sample their incredible patterns.

The blouse is based around a B-cup bust. My measurements of 38-inch bust, and 33-inch waist and 40-inch hip sits between a size 38 and 40. The pattern is nested which make it super easy to print. I decided to print both sizes and graded from the size 38 to 40 and added one inch to the length from the bottom of the blouse. The top features a V-neck and it’s fitted in the bust with more ease around the waist. 

Knit fabric is always a bit tricky for me. I’m still gaining experience with handling the stretchy qualities of knit fabric. The instructions are excellent with tips all the way on how to handle the fabric, which needle to use and what stitch to sew with. It really takes all the guess work out which is so helpful. Another quality of the fabric I should mention is that there is more stretch one way than the other which has been fine for this blouse as the pattern is quite versatile. I would love to make a winter version with merino wool or something similar.

I’m excited to add this top to my Spring Capsule Wardrobe. I’m hoping to sew a skirt as well to wear with this, but I think it will match quite a few items I have. I know I’m categorising my sewn items into different capsules but obviously any item can be worn for any season. With my love of neutrals and browns, everything could fit into an Autumnal theme. I’ve just been organising my sewing this way to get a better cross section of items into my handmade wardrobe.

I’m feeling more confident with knit fabric coming away from this. I want to practise with this pattern a few more times so I’ll be on the lookout for more fabric suitable for this pattern.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em