I made a top – finally!! I’ve had the patchwork wovens Collage Gathered Top on my to-make list for months now and even had the pattern on hand since last Fall.
I figured it was high time I snuck in some selfish sewing and make myself some garments!
Perfect time with Me Made May 2023 in full swing.
If you’re a newsletter subscriber (sign up here!), then you know my garment sewing plans already. I shared it with you at the beginning of the month when I was still working on my mum’s quilted coat.
With that project complete (well, the sewing part anyway), I was excited to dive in and expand on my handmade wardrobe.
Today I wanted to share the first of the 3 pieces I’m hoping to make this month, starting with the Collage Gathered Top.
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Top Pattern
It’s not often that I get stopped in my scrolling tracks, but I fell hook line, and sinker the moment I saw the Collage Gathered Top by Matchy Matchy Sewing Club.
The design is cute and fun, leaning on the girly side with the ruffly sides. The shape is quite forgiving, which I assumed would make for an easier sew. The concept of adding patchwork to your garments really intrigued me as well. And I instantly had ideas of different fabric pairings I’d like to try 😉
The Sewing Plan
The plan was to stitch some tops up over the winter, but I was caught working on a few other projects which kept my sewing machine occupied.
The good news is that I was still able to play with fabric combos while I patiently waited for my machine to free up.
The Fabric Plan
I won’t bore you with all the different fabric combinations I played with, as there were a lot!
My original idea is far from where I ultimately landed, which is this yummy combo of linen paired with these warm-toned wovens.
Look familiar?!
They should, as they’re leftovers from making my last quilted coat 😊 The linen is new to the project. I’m not even sure where/when I picked it up. It’s a gorgeous beige/green linen. I would have thought it was an Essex, but it feels lighter. So, I may have picked it up well over 10 years ago at Club Tissus. All I know is that it’s yummy and I’m excited to finally see it get used!
The Good News
The best part was that the top doesn’t take that long to make. So, when I finished my mum’s quilted coat over the weekend, I immediately started tracing my pattern out when I got back to the city! I was that eager to see this top finally come to life.
The Bad News
It’s a little short. I followed the instructions to a ‘t’ to make sure I had a baseline.
My baseline tells me it’s too short for me – ha!
While it covers my midsection, it does it just barely. An additional 3 to 4 inches would probably do. I’ll have to play around with that part.
This was also important to know as I want to try the Collage Gathered Top Dress Hack. I was tempted to start there, but I’m so happy I stuck with the top as now I’ll probably add even more length to my dress than recommended. All things to be determined when I get to jump into that project 😊 Just know that these fabrics have tempted me daily to stitch one up!
Sew Fun
It had been quite a while since I last used my serger and I was so excited to be pulling her out again.
After relearning how to thread her – ha! Yes, that took a good hour to retrain myself 😉
It was super fun to see her work her magic! She almost sounds like she’s purring as she stitches away. And seeing those nicely finished seams was joy-inducing!
Something New
If you caught my QuiltCon Recap post then you might remember I picked up these adorable plant labels from Sarah Hearts Labels. I’ve already snuck one in my mum’s coat and couldn’t resist adding one to my Collage Gathered Top too!
Things I Would Do Differently Next Time
What I love about being creative is that each new project you tackle you learn and grow. After making something, I normally have some ideas on how/what I would do differently the next time. This project was no different. Here’s what I plan on trying next:
- The thread: match my sewing thread. This is so basic, but I didn’t even think to change my thread when I was topstitching. Rookie mistake on my part. While it’s not the end of the world (obviously!), it’s those types of small details that I notice and enjoy.
- The fit: I would make it longer. The top is a little on the short side for my liking.
- The fit: I would make the wovens Collage Gather Top smaller. I made the size S and while it fits comfortably, I do find it a wee bit on the roomy side. The design of the top is intended to be roomy and oversized, but this feels just a tad on the extra roomy side.
Materials and Notions
Here’s a roundup of the materials and notions I used to whip this handmade top up:
- Collage Gathered Top Pattern
- Fabrics – a combination of linen and Sprout Wovens by Fableism in peach, pink, burgundy, rust, and some upcycled striped linen 😉
- 50wt Aurifil Thread – sewing
- 40wt Aurifil Thread – serger
- Tracing paper – this is what I use
- Sharpie
- Ruler
- Rotary cutter with these blades
- Cutting mat
- Tailor’s scissors
- Sewing machine
- Serger
- Iron & pressing mat
- Seam ripper
- Marking tool
- Sewing machine
- Snips
- Clips
Shop my most used notions and tools here.
For more quilty inspiration, check out:
I’m feeling really good about getting both my mum’s coat and the Collage Gathered Top done! I still have the dress version (which you can now see here!) and another skirt (see that here!) I’d like to make this month. Hoping I can sneak those projects in!
Are you participating in Me Made May 2023? I’d love to hear what you’re working on 😊
Happy stitching!
xo
Shannon
PS It’s been too cold to wear this top, but hoping to snap some pictures of me wearing it so you can see how she fits – stay tuned!
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Looks great! You could always add a ruffle to the bottom to add some length. Another trick I have done when tops/dresses are too big is to put a little piece of elastic in the centre back. It just pulls things in a bit and makes it feel like it fits better. I don’t do MMM as most of my made garments are fancy or summer and just not worn in May, especially with this crazy weather we are having!
Thank you so much for your tips, Joanna 🤗 super helpful!