Lined Wiksten Tova

This is the sixth time I've made this pattern but the first time I've lined the body.  I wanted to but chickened out when I made my mom's.  I did line the inset that time and, while Nina's post was helpful, she didn't provide any in-process photos.  So I decided to take pictures this time.  Really crappy pictures.  My sewing room is in a basement with no natural light so not so great for photography.  I tried to fix them in photoshop but I'm not sure I improved them much.  And the fabric ended up looking black and white instead of grey and white.  Anyway, here goes!

No photos of this step but I'm sure you can figure it out: place the inset and the inset lining right sides together and stitch the right side of the placket to the wrong side of the inset (as per the instructions).  Follow the instructions for completing the placket while keeping the lining free.

Repeat for the other side and then baste the inset pieces together at the placket with the left placket covering the right.

Baste the front piece lining to the front piece along where the inset will go (as you can see from the picture below, I didn't do this.  It would have been a good idea.)

Pin the inset to the front piece as per the instructions while keeping the lining free.  Stitch the inset to the front piece.

Where the plackets overlap, clip the seam allowance.  This is so that the entire seam allowance can be covered by the lining in the next step.

Fold lining over 3/8" to the wrong side and press.  From the front, pin lining so that it covers the stitching line and topstitch.  (or slipstitch or baste in place and then topstitch).

There. The inset is almost as pretty from the inside as the outside!

To finish it off, I sewed the front and back shoulder seams together including the lining.  When I sewed the side seams, I kept the lining free and finished it separately.  I cut the lining an inch shorter then the shirt so that it wouldn't show.   The only seams that are currently unfinished are around the arms and I think I will just trim and zig zag them.

And for the first time, a picture of me, including my face!  As you can tell from my lovely expression, I don't like pictures of myself but am going to try harder this year, especially when it comes to being in pictures with my kids.  I actually got out the tripod the other day, which my kids seemed to enjoy.  (my husband was home a the time but didn't take the hint!)

By the way, the fabric is a lightweight cotton from fabricland (bought for $14.  I've already made an Alma and I still have enough left for another top.  Hmm, would anyone notice if I had three different tops in the same fabric in rotation at the same time?). I lined the body in a cotton voile from Dharma Trading.

Tova for my mom

This is my fifth (!!) tova.  This summer, I made a white linen one that my mom admired when we were on holiday together so I decided to make her one in some cream-verging-on-yellow linen from fabrics-store.com.

She's shorter than me but mine fit her well in the shoulders and chest so the only change I made was to take an inch off the bottom.  Otherwise I did my now standard (hehe!) changes: added SA for French seams, dropped armscye (not sure if that's the right word but it sounds better than armpit!) by 1/4", increased bust on sides by 1/4".   I also stitched up the placket a couple of inches.

It's in the mail on the way to her for her birthday so I hope it fits!

As the linen is slightly sheer, I doubled the inset piece (thanks Nina for the suggestion!).  I used the inside piece to enclose the seam allowances so it's almost as nice on the inside.  Here's a really crappy in progress photo of how I did it: I treated the two inset pieces as one when making the placket but left the inside free until after I sewed the inset to the rest of the top.  I slip stitched it to the seam allowance before topstitching everything from the outside.

Short Sleeved Linen Tova

Summer appears to be here to stay so I decided to make a loose fitting short sleeved Tova.  This year I really am going to try to avoid my usual uniform of $10 v-neck t-shirts (I say this every year).

For this top, I replaced the 3/4 length sleeves with gathered cap sleeves using this tutorial.   I lowered the armholes a 1/4" and added 1/4" to each of the front and back sides for more room in the chest (using Jenny Gordy's advice from this flickr discussion).  I think all these changes combined might have been a bit much as it's quite baggy right now.  I'm also not sure about the sleeves -- they make me feel like a linebacker and I'm not really comfortable showing off so much of my arms.  I'll wear it a couple of times before making any changes, though, because I'm a lot like the kids -- if it's new or different sometimes it takes some time for be to get used to it :).

The fabric is this linen from fabrics-store.com.  It feels really nice and, despite the dark colour, I'm sure will be very cool.  They have great prices, by the way, but if you're ordering to Canada, whatever you do don't choose UPS ground -- not only will you pay for shipping but UPS will also charge you a COD brokerage fee (ostensibly for filling out the paperwork to clear customs).  In my case it was $22!!  Craziness!

Shot Cotton Tova

I feel a bit un-original posting this top -- a pdf option has made the pattern much more readily available so lovely versions of the Tova are popping up all over blogland.  Not that that's a bad thing.  I love this pattern -- it sews up quickly, fits well, is comfortable and looks great.  And, despite it's popularity online, I'm pretty sure I'm not in any danger of showing up somewhere in the same outfit as some one I know :).

Sorry for the crappy picture.  I tried to take one of me wearing it but that was even worse.  The fabric is Kaffe Fassett, Shot Cotton in Bordeaux and it's really lovely -- very lightweight and soft, and with a wonderful depth of colour.  I ordered it from Pam at Mad About Patchwork.  I'd highly recommend her shop for quick shipping and great costumer service.  And we obviously think alike -- she's currently making a Tova out of aqua shot cotton.

verykerryberry is hosting a sew-a-long of this pattern and has some great posts and tips.  I joined but apparently am not very good at "sewing along" and and finished early :).

By the way, the last time I made this, I had trouble with the collar fitting properly.  This time I staystitched the neck edge and it was fine.

edited to add:  I finally coerced my six year old into taking a picture for me.  I really like this colour and I like this top but a word to the wise if you're going to use shot cotton -- it frays.  Like crazy.  I really did mean to increase the seam allowance this time so I could do French seams but wasn't even thinking when I cut this out.  Guess I should write stuff like that on my pattern pieces, shouldn't I?   When I get time to sew I'm always anticipating being interrupted so don't always pay enough attention to what I'm doing . . .

Tova muslin

I really enjoyed making this top and when I wore it for the first time, my three year old told me she liked it.  Unprompted.  Then my other daughter and my husband chimed in to say they did, too.  That's gotta mean something right?

When I received the pattern last week, I didn't have any suitable fabric on hand so went to my local fabric shop, generally a disappointing experience.  They always have either wildly overpriced decent quality fabric or dodgy cheap stuff.  I found this linen/rayon blend on clearance for $3.50/metre so decided to make a "muslin".  Although the oatmeal colour doesn't do anything for me and the fabric is a bit scratchy, I think I probably will end up wearing this. 

The pattern was great and everything fit together amazingly well with the exception of the collar, which ended up being a smidge too small.  I'm pretty sure it wasn't the pattern piece, though -- I think my neck edge stretched out while I was working on the rest so next time I will staystitch the neck edges before I start.

The only thing I did differently from the directions was pre-crease the cuff bands and collar bands before sewing them on -- I did the first one as written and I found it really difficult to accurately fold over the 1/4" that would cover the seams after the cuff was sewn on. 

Other than taking a little more time with the corners on the inset :), the only thing I will do differently next time is give myself a little more than the 3/8" seam allowance to do french seams.  I don't have a serger so did a hodge podge of things this time round -- mock french seams on the sides, zig zag on the armholes and nothing on the inset.

This is an XL, I generally wear size 12 in RTW.  I was a little concerned that I'm not "willowy" enough to pull this off without it looking like I'm wearing a maternity top but I think the cut is great and the fit is fairly good (although still maybe a touch tight across the chest?).   I will definitely be making this again, maybe in real linen.

quite a day!

my shipment of Liberty fabric arrived today and then I opened my email to find that the Tova pattern was available.  I love the style of this pattern and have seen such great reviews so, despite the cost ($30US for the pattern + $13US for shipping!), I bought it.  Eeeek, good thing my husband never comments on how much I spend on this obsession hobby!

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