Stashbusting by The Four Tops

(That so should have been an album title!)

After an involved project like a jacket it's nice to make something quick and easy so I pulled out some smallish pieces of knit fabric from a stash and found some patterns that I had already traced and made a top.  And then made some more!  These were all very fast and very simple so I am bunging them altogether in one bumper post - forgive the night time mannequin shots.  I will get around to modelling all these for you soon.

1) Burda Style magazine 11/2011 - 114





In my year end tidy up I found that I had lost the instructions for this one because they were in the photo portion of the magazine which I no longer keep after a year.  It was easy to figure out though.  I made my usual size 38 but needed to unpick the side seams a bit on this one as I found that the wrap was a bit sad and droopy looking.  Maybe it depends on the fabric - mine is a very soft drapy khaki cotton jersey.  I experimented a bit and pulled the top of the side seam out a bit as shown below.  I love the double layer front on this top and the shoulder / back design.

Droopy look before adjustment

The back - there is no shoulder seam, the fronts wrap over the back

The adjustment I made to each side seam

The finished top after adjusting.

 2) Burda Style magazine 05/2004 - 111
I'm sure I will get sick of twist tops one day, but not yet.  This was very quick and easy, but the pattern has cut on sleeves so you need wide fabric to make the pattern properly.  I was working with leftovers of a grey jersey so I cut the sleeves as long as I could and added a doubled over band cut from scraps.  It still only has 3/4 length sleeves but I quite like it.  I sewed up the gaps left around the twist after making it and stitched further up the centre front seam as I found it a bit revealing as it was.

3) Jalie 2804 Empire Crossover top

I'm sorry to say this one has been cut out for at least a year, probably 2!  When I finally got around to sewing it up on my serger it too no more than an hour so I don't know why I left it so long.  I have a co-ordinating cotton print from which I plan to make a matching skirt, hopefully in less time than I got round to the top.

4) Patrones issue 300 #29
This is a loose fitting cowl neck top, here made up in a sheer, almost mesh, butterfly print.  The side and shoulders are stitched with french seams and the hems are just left unfinished so this really was a speedy make.  Of course I will need to wear a cami or something underneath it, but because it is sheer it doesn't always need to be worn with a belt as loose tops often do on me - I just thought it worked with this obi belt I already own.