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Friday, January 23, 2015

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!


22 comments:

  1. Great work! I really like that top. (And I like your interior shutters too!)

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  2. I have never made clothes but that top is very cute - I love that it is a little bit longer and hits in the hip area.

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  3. I think I might have sewn a clothing item back in high school under the strict tutelage of my mother... but I have avoided doing "practical" sewing ever since. This top looks really nice on you; I really like the length of the top.

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  4. I'm pear shaped too so I may have to give this a try. Yours looks fantastic. Sewing clothes for myself scares me. Despite having made a bunch for my kids. Oh no about the Washi! That was the first pattern I wanted to try.

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  5. This is really cute!

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  6. Love it because it looks awesome on you! Congrats on your sewing success!

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  7. Cute Top! I really like that pattern. I may just have to purchase one!

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  8. That looks great! And the colors are so good on you, too. Isn't it a relief that your husband likes it, as well as all of us out here in blogland? I suppose that's a very retro thing to say, but I know that often my girlfriends and nieces will say very positive things about something I think is cute and but if my partner is lukewarm about its charms it can be deflating. So, hooray for you and Tova!

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  9. That is very flattering on you. Job Well Done!

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  10. it looks so amazing on you!! what did he not like about the washi?

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  11. Yay, Cheryl! Good for you for taking a risk with garment making! This looks fabulous on you. (And Chicopee for $3.50 a yard? What. The. Heck?!)

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  12. It looks great. You make me want to make this top for myself! (I don't make garments for myself.)

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  13. You did such a fantastic job! The top looks great on you. I have never made myself any garments - well, I knit myself a sweater once and that's all I'll say about that! :) Love the top!

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  14. It looks great! I checked out your Washi dress, and I think it loks good, too. What did hubby not like about it?

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  15. Great job! I've never made a shirt, so I'm in awe of your ability!

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  16. This is great. This is the one top that I really want to make (only having made pajama pants before!).

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  18. That is a great top! I wish I had the skills to make something this awesome.

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  19. You did a great job with the top. It looks really good on you. :-)

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  20. Great job!! Looks wonderful on you :)

    -Soma

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  21. it looks fantastic, you'd never guess it was a muslin!

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  22. I really really love your top! Looks very nice and neat. And the beautiful fabric you have used is bonus! Great job!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!