At some point during the lockdown, I slowly entered into the illusion that summer was coming and with it, the kind of weather that gives the impression that it is summer. The things we tell ourselves! Anyway, the last two summers, I made a small batch of t-shirts – a set of 3 plain t-shirts, and another set of 3 in prints. This has proved to be plenty, because we just don’t get that much t-shirt weather. But I don’t really have any woven tops anymore, bar the few shirts and blouses that I mentioned in my last post. It is funny because now, after many years of exploration, I find myself returning to really solid basics such as the Scout Tee and today’s pattern, New Look 6483.
NL6483 is that kind of pattern that one easily passes over. It is utterly non-descript. The cover has only line drawings and it looks a bit old-fashioned. But it a really versatile pattern! It is for woven fabrics, has three neckline variations (a high crew neck, a jewel neck and a square neck), two sleeveless variations (one where the edge comes right to the shoulder bone, the other being more cut away), and a version with sleeves. The sleeveless version have substantial facings. There is a simple button-and-loop closure at the back and that has a facing as well.
To start with, I decided to make a toile in some lingering, leftover Liberty fabric that I was being precious about. I went with the jewel neckline and the more cut away sleeve line.
The end result is nice but I had to do quite a bit of tweaking. The armhole was way too deep and not really the right shape. I had to put a small dart in on each side and mirror it in the facing as well. I just sort of eyeballed it, so it’s not totally perfect, but for a toile, I didn’t really mind too much.
The shape is really nice at the front, but it is cut away a bit too much at the back shoulder for me. Whatever about showing your bra strap, I find this type of shoulder line doesn’t give enough coverage for sun, or if I am carrying a bag, my skin gets irritated easily.
For my next two iterations, I chose to cut the high crew neckline with full shoulder coverage. The neckline really is quite high – I like it, but if you’re sensitive to that type of contact against your skin there, perhaps an amalgamation with the other neckline view would be better. I am really happy with how this one turned out! The armscye is a different shape on this view and I had no problems with its depth or with gaping.
The fabric came from Quilt Yarn Stitch in Tuam, Galway. I got it from them in May because I thought it was just so fun and summery! I ordered a metre and I had some leftovers. I made the hat (at the top of the post) from some leftover denim and lined it with the lemons. (The pattern, if you’re curious, is Sorrento Bucket Hat. It is a free download from Elbe Textiles and comes in multiple sizes.)
I didn’t use a loop-and-button at the back, opting instead for a hook-and-eye. It’s fine, but I find that when I wear a cardigan over it, it tends to open.
I made the same view again in a different fabric. I just loved this one! Those hens!
Again, the fabric came from Quilt Yarn Stitch and I used just shy of a metre for it. So, it’s a good pattern if you’d like to use a fun fabric but don’t want to get too much of it!
You can just about see in this photo how there is a small split hem at the bottom. You might think that it’s not worth taking the time to include this, but actually I found that it is a nice feature and gives a little bit of extra comfort across the hips. As well as that, it’s the kind of feature that looks nice if you choose not to wear it tucked in.
Funnily enough, the item I have gotten the most wear out of so far is the sun hat! It is possible that, after such a damp and cool July, we will have a settled and fine August and September, providing me with ample wearing time for these fun tops before things get properly chilly.