I am not intimidated by matching stripes. It is a sewing skill that I am proud to say I have mastered. Depending on the fabric I sometimes baste my seams to make sure they don’t move while I’m sewing. Other times I might use my walking foot as well as double-sided tape to keep the stripes aligned.
The first top I made using View A was the orange/coral stripe pictured below. The fabric was purchased from Fabric Mart a while ago.
When I came to sew the shoulder seams I realized that I forgot to match the stripes. The sides were good but the shoulder seams were WAY off. I would never wear it looking like that. Ugh! A wadder in the making. The next day at work I shared my frustration with a co-worker who also sews. She suggested contrast bands to distract from the mismatched stripes. I had nothing to lose since it was not wearable the way it was. I dug out some ponte knit scraps and created insets as well as a contrasting neckband. I am happy with how this turned out.
I cut out the blue/white stripe right after finishing the orange/coral. I was not going to let myself be beat by such a simple project and a rookie mistake. I needed to cleanse my sewing palette with a success.
A few years ago I made View C from the same pattern with stretch lace and jersey.
Simplicity 1463
I love your tops! I am so glad you posted this because I have had this pattern for a long time along with fabric I intended to use for it. When I saw yours, I got mine out and sewed it up. I really appreciate your remarks about the stripes as they were a help to me. Thank you for your inspiration and I love my new top too!
Thank you Mary. I’m glad that you are happy with your new top.
All three versions are winners. The coral and orange too turned out even better with the Ponte knit inserts.
Thank you Cennetta.
Oh, very nice! I like this version a lot!
Thank you Jennifer.