Seafarer and Skipper tops: take two

Ever since I made my first Seafarer top I have been wanting to make another one. There is nothing wrong with the first top as such, however the fabric I used just did not feel right. It did not drape nicely, it made the top look too 'homemade'. I wore it a few times last Autumn but have not reached for it since then.

A few weeks ago I finally did it. I pulled out the Seafarer top pattern and cut into gorgeous Art Gallery knit I got from House of Cloth. This is a visual definition of success :)


OK it was not a success to start with. I expected my body to behave the same way it did five years ago after I had my big girl. Back then my bust measurement remained the same until R stopped breastfeeding. So this time I measured myself, cut out size M which seemed a better fit at the time, but did not sew the top until a few weeks later. By then my milk supply settled, but I did not think to re-measure myself before I sewed the top... Yep, my new top ended up too big. Oops! Thankfully this is such a simple pattern so it did not take long to fix my mistake. I narrowed the top section to size S.


My sweetest husband was a designated photographer so I thought I would use the opportunity and get a few photos with my girlies. R decided our dog Happy had to be in the photo as well :) Baby L looks a little worried about the craziness levels of our family, but something is telling me she will fit in just right ;)


At about the same time I was sewing my top I went to Spotlight and saw white knit fabric with golden stripes. The fabric did not have much stretch or recovery and felt stiff, but I thought I would buy just enough to make a new Skipper top for my big girlie. Purely for fun. You can see the first Skipper top I made her here.


R was very excited about this project at first. She picked fabric and decided on the shape of the pocket. However when I showed a nearly finished tee shirt to R she declared she did not like it anymore because she wanted a large pocket right in the middle of the tee. Guh!!


Here is a pocket that broke the deal. I think it is super cute. But my girl disagrees.


Despite my daughter's disapproval I finished the tee shirt anyway. I hemmed the sleeves but not the bottom of the tee as I was worried it would end up looking too bulky due to the stiffness of fabric. Stiffness... Is there such a word?


Here is my little trickster hiding a naughty pocket. She is also wearing Clover shorts I made for her last year.

R never reached for the golden tee shirt since the photo-shoot. Oh well. I love mine and wear it very often.

7 comments

  1. Yes, stiffness is an English word. Is the stiffness from the printed gold stripes, or is all of the fabric the same texture? If the fabric is the same all over I would think running it through the wash a half dozen times with detergent & fabric softener might have some effect. Do you think she'd wear the top if you just took off the pocket? ...or will she just insist on her version of a pocket? Personally,
    I think that pocket would look great on the front of those shorts ... but then I'm long past sewing for little ones so what do I know. TaTa for now! -Lynn

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    1. Thanks Lynn. I was not sure if washing stiffer fabric a few times could help. I have some vintage fabric that is rather stiff, so I will do that. This fabric is stiff due to paint. It is mostly noticeable on the neck band. I don't think she would like the top more if the pocket wasn't there. She might warm up to it. She refused to wear the shorts last year. She tolerates them enough to wear them on a regular basis this summer 😊 the shorts have pockets of course 😊

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  2. Both tees great, Jenya. I know what you mean about the fabric, because I also had a feel of it in Spotlight. Maybe it will soften up a bit in the wash...? You and your girls are looking beautiful. Hope you're keeping cool in this hot, hot weather!

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    1. This is a fun fabric for a project for a child, isn't it? I was hoping it would soften up in the wash, but oh well. If my big girlie decides she likes it after all I will put it through a few cycles. I bet she will develop deep love for it closer to winter haha She refused to wear shorts last year. I can't say she likes them now, but she certainly tolerates them and even requested a pair of shorts in some funky fabric. Kids, hey!

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  3. You look radiant in your tee, the colors suit you well! If your girl really doesn't like the pocket, maybe take it off? The fabric is too nice not to wear.

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  4. Jenya you look amazing! My Seafarer out of Art Gallery knit is my favorite one, it's so soft and comfortable to wear. And too bad she isn't a fan of her new top, but it looks awesome! Thanks for using my pattern!

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  5. I love both tops. I am such a fan of Art Gallery. It's up there on my list of favorite knits. And those Clover shorts are adorable. I can't believe I've only made one pair so far. Oh, and stiffness is totally a word! At least, I use it, so I figure it is, ha ha.

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