Pink-errific Bias Cut Renfrew Top!

Catching up on posts, catching up on posts (sung in sing song-y voice)…yeah!

I’ve been making lots and posting nothing! So I have a backlog!

I think it was one of the first days that we knew that my mom was in the clear, that I took my long awaited Sewaholic “Renfrew” class at Made Sewing Studio. Since I had bought a serger and taken a class on how to use my serger, I had been wanting to take a knitwear class. I had also seen Lladybird’s multiple Renfrew tops and knew I wanted to make that at some point as well. So imagine how delighted I was when Made Sewing Studio was offering Ladie’s Knitwear: The Renfrew Top. Perfect!

Made Sewing Studio is also where I went to the book signing for the Colette Sewing Handbook, so I had been there before. It’s in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle and hasn’t even been there a year. It was a small class, just three of us, taught by Carissa, the owner, with help from Julia (an employee or co-owner… not sure). Anyway, they were both great and super helpful. They have everything there too. I brought my serger, just because I wanted to get to know it better, but I didn’t need to. They have sergers, sewing machines, and really nice, big, tall cutting tables that you can walk all the way around (something I don’t have at home). Swoon. I will probably end up doing more project classes again, just to be in that nice big space with all the stuff!

I had traced my pattern ahead of time, so was able to complete the cutting and sewing in the class.  I asked about muslins for knits and was told, by Carissa, that sewists don’t typically do muslins for knits as the fit is way more forgiving. This shirt certainly didn’t need one, so that saved time. It was supposed to be a 5 hour class, but it ran a little late. Carissa let us stay and finish though.

I cut my front fabric piece on the bias to get the cool diagonal stripes. I then lined up the stripes and cut the back fabric piece with the diagonals going the opposite direction to get a chevron effect on the sides.

They actually matched up when I sewed the two pieces together. Amazing!

I want to make a bunch more of these. The pattern is awesome too because it can be mixed and matched to have three different sleeve lengths (short, 3/4 and full) and three different neck styles (scoop, v-neck or cowl). I want to make a longer one, with longer cuffs and waistband. It would also be cool with a solid color neckband, cuffs and waistband.

I love sewing knits now. I had thought it was going to be way harder than it was. Besides my serger bending needles repeatedly, it was actually pretty easy and I loved that it was something I could complete in one day (versus these dresses that I have been making that have been averaging 30 hours for me to complete). I left there joking that I was going to sew nothing but knits now and therefore wear nothing to work but yoga pants from now on. And a knit top of some sort, I wouldn’t go shirtless! 😉