Harriet’s Rowan Top

I have no problem wearing bright colours, clashing prints – and, to help matters, I am very short – hence the name being @thelittledressmaker!

I love dressing the way I do, but I’m trying to integrate some more ‘grown-up’ items of clothing into my wardrobe, which is why the fabric inside the luxury box this month was perfect!

I knew whatever came inside the ‘Birds of a Feather’ box would be right up my street, but I didn’t anticipate anything as lovely as the super luxurious and, might I say, sophisticated viscose jersey. While the leafy design is very summer appropriate, the toned-down colours are so beautiful and will be great for transitioning into the cooler months which seem to be on their way! As a viscose jersey, it’s got a great amount of drape and stretch, making it suitable for loads of different patterns. I chose to make the v-neck top variation of the Rowan pattern from Megan Nielsen – one that I’ve made up a couple of times before, but each time I make it I seem to love it even more!

The fabric made an incredibly satisfying noise when it was cut (you know the one, it makes you feel like you’ve had a little taste of heaven) and was really easy to pin as well! I made version two of the pattern, a lovely v-neck t-shirt. It sewed up incredibly quickly, and I’m not any kind of sewing speed demon, especially not with jersey – I tend to err on the side of a ridiculous amount of caution in case I stretch it out by accident.

With the Rowan pattern, the sleeves are attached on the flat (so before you sew up the side seams) which is a technique I really enjoyed and, in my opinion, was much easier than the normal method, and it means the top comes together all at once! I did choose to stabilise the shoulders with a woven ribbon so that they don’t stretch out over time – this is a step which is listed as optional in the instructions, but one that I’d really recommend taking to keep your jersey tops and dresses from stretching out of shape over time.

All in all, I’m really pleased with this make. The fabric is gorgeous – both to look at and to sew with – and the Rowan pattern is quick, easy and a really great basic for every sewist’s wardrobe. It has six variations (not including the three different sleeve lengths for each of those versions!) and really clear instructions, and works with so many prints and colours of jersey!