Finally I have some completed garments to show you.

First off is the jacket and top from this pattern:

What the pattern cover does not make clear is that the jacket can be made in two different lengths (as well as having two sleeve options) and it also includes the pattern for the tank top which goes underneath.

I was a little confused about how much fabric to purchase, so I got 4 yards, just to be safe.  My choice was a 70% rayon made from Bamboo/30% cotton jersey knit from Fabric.com.

One thing to note if you make this pattern is that there are only two wearing options for the shorter version.  If you want to try all the different interesting wraps, you’ll have to make the longer one.  I decided that I’m probably only going to wear it one way, so I made the shorter version.

On most patterns I have to add 3″ to the sleeves to get the right length, but with the optional extension on these they were too long, so I cuffed them up.  I kind of like it.  🙂

Here’s the tank top by itself:

I like the style with the rounded, faced collar section, but I think if I made it again I’d add an inch or so to the shoulder seams.  This just seems to sit a little high on me.  I can see this as a great place to add some embellishments, like metal studs or rhinestones.

And here are the two tops together.  It’s funny, I wasn’t real impressed when I looked at this in the mirror, but after seeing the photo, it’s pretty good.  (Why is it then that my hair looks so much better in the mirror than it does in these photos?)

I cut both garments out last week, and then went to Joann’s because their Butterick patterns were on sale for $1.99.  I picked up a couple I’d been planning to get, and found this cute little number while flipping through the catalog:

I didn’t have any fabric planned for it, but realized when I got home that the leftover piece of turquoise bamboo (since I’d bought for the longer version and made the shorter) might just do it.

While laying out the pattern, however, I realized I was just a “squidge” short.

Then I took another look at those tightly rolled up selvages that you always get in knits and wondered, “Just how much fabric is hiding in there?”

Here’s the selvage rolled up:

Here’s my tool of choice, along with my iron:

Here’s the result:

And here’s the difference, nearly 2 1/2″ of fabric on each edge!

That made it enough for me to make this:

I’m loving this top, but I did make a couple of changes to the pattern.  Instead of just clean finishing the neck edges, I added a 2″ strip of fabric than had been pressed in half as a kind of binding.  I didn’t have enough fabric to do it this time, but on any future version I will definitely eliminate the back “vee” neckline in favor of a more traditional scoop neckline.  This is entirely practical as (a) I don’t like the back of my neck being cold and, (b) the shoulders kept falling off my somewhat rounded shoulders.  I also tacked down the bottom of the twists on the inside of the garment to keep them from riding up and making it not very modest.  🙂

I can’t wait to find just the right fabric to make this in the dress version. (Only 1 3/4 yards!)

So THAT’S what you can do with four yards of bamboo.

Happy sewing & crafting,

Sandy

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