A Basic Top Gets Kicked Up a Notch!

A few weeks ago I tested another pattern for Itch to Stitch Designs* and like all the other patterns I've been lucky enough to test this year, the Busan top is a total winner for me!  I haven't been interested in anything with any sort of statement sleeve until this pattern came along and then I was completely obsessed with the idea of them.

As with all of the Itch to Stitch patterns it is sized from 00-20.  The pattern goes together easily and other than the few pleats at the sleeve cap, this is absolutely no more difficult than sewing a regular long sleeve t-shirt with a cuff.  Add a few minutes (maybe ten or 15 minutes more) onto to your normal sewing time for a basic tee and you've got a garment that takes the t-shirt shape and kicks it up a notch or two!

You can make it out of so many  fabric too - sweater knits, sweatshirt knits, french terry, jersey... the list goes on and on.  As long as your fabric has the recommended stretch, you're pretty much good to go.

I made my first and second one out of sweater knit.  I followed the pattern as drafted (with the usual extra length I always add) and it was perfect.  I love wearing it with jeans and boots, but I think it could be just as great with a skirt or dress pants - it's got that "just toss it on and go, but feel dressed and well put together" thing going on even though it's so easy to sew up.

As I mentioned the sleeves get their "oomph" from four pleats - two on either side of the center of the sleeve cap and then they cinch in by sewing the wide bottom of the sleeve piece into the narrow long cuffs.  I have a quick tip here for the cuffs - it'll make it a whole lot less cuss word inducing if you baste the two layers of cuff together first, especially if you're using a knit that persists on curling the minute it is stretched.  (Do the same for the neck band and you'll probably not need your stitch ripper as much as I did... unfortunately both my sweater knits were super light weight and super curly along the cut edges so until it dawned on me to baste layers my seam ripper and I were enjoying quite a bit of one on one time together and the air was getting a bit blue with all the bad language being used.)

But check out that sleeve cap...  I love those pleats so much!!

A few of the testers opted to use festive fabrics for theirs and of course I had fancy fabric envy so had to make a sparkly one for myself too.  Can I tell you what is impossible to photograph in the winter?  Sparkly silver fabric - no matter what light I take the photos in it comes across as plain old grey.  It also turns out too that my thin lightweight sparkly silver jersey is see through.  Oooops!  Cartagena to the rescue!! I'm planning to make a light grey one specifically for under this Busan, but for now the black will have to do.

These tops are perfect for lunch out with the girls, or getting your festive, but super comfy vibe on for the holidays.  I've been dreaming of a stretch velvet one with lace cuffs.  Why yes, I'm totally ripping off a hack one of the testers did on her Busan...  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?  I'm not just being a complete copy cat.  (Ok.  I am, but whatever.  LOL)

So, if you want to give it a try for yourself, head on over to the Itch to Stitch website and grab yourself a copy of Busan while it's on sale for the release week!  Give yourself an hour or two off from whatever holiday prep you're madly working on and treat yourself to a new top that will make you feel like a million bucks!

If I don't pop in before Christmas, I'll be back shortly after!  (I've been meaning to write a post for a few weeks but it just didn't happen because life got in the way as it sometimes will) I hope that whatever festivities you partake in during this time find you in good health and good spirits!  For us we're very much looking forward to celebrating Christmas - although this year will not be quite the same as all my "big kids" are going on a trip south for the entire holiday break and because they leave bright and earlier Christmas morning, they won't be tiptoe-ing, bleary-eyed, but giggling into the house at the crack of dawn.  I'm really going to miss having all ten of us under the same roof for the morning!  It'll be such a quiet affair with just the four of us instead - but hopefully just as Merry!

Now, you'll have to excuse me while I get back to the approximately eleventy billion things I meant to get done before the weekend but clearly didn't...