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Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Shirr Thing for Spring: Day Three-Shirred Cap Sleeve Top


Lazy Saturday Shirt
 For day three of my shirring mini-series, I wanted to share a modified version of a previous top.  Last August I made my first attempt at shirring, by creating the Lazy Saturday T-shirt. I love that shirt, but it needed to be tweaked.  For one, I had to lower the shirring lines, they were a bit too high to be flattering.  I also wanted to crop the sleeves, after all it will be summer soon (I'm hoping), and sadly that trim that adds so much to the top did not stretch, making it a bit uncomfortable now that my arms are filling out a bit.

A cap sleeve is a great option for summer.  It provides needed coverage, but still keeps you cool.  I've had the fortune/misfortune of having the biggest months of my pregnancy  be in the late summer.  When I was pregnant with Clark it seemed impossible to keep cool during July, August, and September.  I'm hoping that this time around this cap sleeve top, along with a few other pieces, will allow me to keep cool while being covered.

For details on how to create the shirred rows below the bust you can see my original Lazy Saturday post.  I did lower the shirred lines to about 7 1/2" below the neckline. Each row is about 10 1/2" long prior to resulting gather.  I shirred four rows, each 1/2" apart.

 I created this shirt from scratch, but I think that adding some rows of shirring below the bust of a loose fitting t-shirt, and maybe some at the small of the back, would be a great way to add shape to a shapeless article of clothing.

To create the shirt I created my own pattern using an existing cap sleeve top.  I added about 1 1/2" to the center fold. Starting with the original measurements  at the center of the bust I tapered out to 1 1/2" at the  hem. I also added about the same measurement to the side seams, tapering out from about the same place.



 Sorry that I don't have any photos of the shirt being modeled, it has been ugly and gray outside, and I can't ever seem to get a decent modeled shot indoors.

Thanks for reading.  Does anyone know of any great sources of stretch trims?  I just ordered a few more decorative elastics, but I'm interested to know what is available out there.

5 comments:

  1. Gorgeous! This shirt is one of my favorites and is definitely on my list. And knowing that I can wear it pregnant bumps it WAY up the list!

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  2. This is so pretty Tricia! Love the color and the amount of gathers. I'm sure it's very flattering on you. :) I wish spring would hurry up and get here and then stay forever.

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  3. PS I ordered some fold over elastic online from a place called something like "for your diaper(?). It's not very thick but comes in beautiful colors. There are also a few shops on etsy that sell fold over elastic. I've only used it once and have a lot to learn about it. :)

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  4. This is such a cute top!! I will definitely have to make one. I just love shirring!

    Like one of the previous commenters, I bought fold over elastic. It is super cheap and comes in lots of colors. It also has a matte side and a shiny side, which it kind of nice depending on the project.

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  5. I love this so much!!! I have a pear-shaped figure and look best when things fit under the bust, but it's really hard to get a t-shirt to fit there while still being big enough to go round the hips. I am SO going to have to try this!

    I linked to your tutorial on Craft Gossip Sewing:
    http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-cap-sleeve-top-with-shirring-under-the-bust/2011/04/24/

    --Anne

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