Tova Top in Chicopee

I decided that I was going to try to make some clothes and bags for QuiltCon and after much searching on the internet and reading pattern reviews I decided to try making a Tova Top by Wiksten.

Confession time...I am a quilter and like to deal with geometric designs and two dimensions.  I have made a total of 3 articles of clothing in my entire life, two Geranium dresses for my daughter and one Washi dress for myself.  The Tova Top is marked as intermediate, but I really liked its lines (a lot of the other patterns out there have empire waists which tend to look maternity on me) so I figured I would give it a try.

I used some yardage of a Chicopee fabric by Denyse Schimdt that I had purchased for $3.50 a yard in hopes to make a wearable muslin.  Prepping the pattern took a while as most pdf patterns do, having to tape all of the sheets of printer paper together and then trace the pattern pieces onto pattern paper.

I was measuring an XS in the bust area and a M in the hips (can you say pear shaped :), but I had heard that the shirt could run snug in the shoulder area so I went with a straight M.

I must say that once all of the pieces were cut out and marked, the shirt went together more quickly and easily than I had thought it would.  The only really difficult part was getting the corners of the placket correct.  My corners are more rounded than they are supposed to be, but I am okay with that.

After putting the placket in, the shoulders and sides are sewn and you get to try the shirt on for the first time.  The top was gaping at the arm pits and billowing around my middle.  I took off an inch from each side under the arms and 6 inches total off the middle area. I then added the sleeves and hemmed the bottom.

I am very happy with the way it came out and am already planning my next Tova using some DOE yardage that I just purchased.  Even my husband really liked it (he did not have as many nice things to say about the washi dress).  The fit is overall pretty good, I think that the shoulder area is a bit wide so the shoulder seam actually sits off of my shoulders.  For my next Tova, I am going to go with a XS at the top and grade out to a M on the bottom.

Happy sewing!

I am linking up to Link a Finish Friday, Whoop Whoop Friday, Thank Goodness Its Finished Friday, Finish It Up Friday, Fabric Frenzy Friday,  Sewjo @ My Go Go Life, and Show Off Saturday @ Sew She Can.