Clothing for the Spatially Challenged

Some projects get finished right away and some projects evolve over time. I don’t stress too much about it as long as there is eventual forward progress. I did a couple of posts in June 2020 about a Burda knot top pattern—Burda 6911—fully intending to see that one through, but it stalled. I need to revisit that pattern and re-trace the dress version, which has more ease through the midriff, and cut it off at the appropriate length. I haven’t taken the time to do that.

When my favorite Liz Claiborne knot top gave up the ghost, though, I decided to take it apart and use it as a pattern, so I am back to thinking about knot tops again. This shirt’s construction is completely different than that of the Burda top. The Burda top has two separate front sections, one of which gets pulled through a hole formed by the bust dart in the other section. (Go read the linked post.)

The Liz top has one front and one back section. The front section looks like this:

(No doubt my mother and DD#2 are thinking that it is good this top got a hole in it because I have been wearing it past its expiration date.) The front is cut from a single piece of fabric. One side is rotated up and over itself and back down to create the knot. The two front pieces are then seamed down the center. The sides of that front opening are cut on the true bias, so in this herringbone fabric, the seam forms a chevron pattern.

This construction is infinitely easier than the Burda top, which is good because I prefer this top. The neckline doesn’t plunge down as far.

I have two issues to sort out. The neckline needs to be finished in some fashion before making the knot. The Liz top had a narrow bound edge. I need to look at the binding attachments I just got for my coverstitch machine to see if they can do something similar. Someone else who made the Burda 6911 top—which requires a similar finish—blogged about that process and said she used foldover elastic. That might work. The little keyhole at the top of the divide also needs some kind of finish. On the Liz top, a narrow 1/4” hem was folded back there and sewn down.

I am going to change the sleeves on my version of this top. The original top had tiny little cap sleeves, which I didn’t hate, but I’d prefer something with more coverage. I’ll frankenpattern something together.

This green fabric is a rayon/spandex knit. I think the rayon/linen/spandex knit I got at Hobby Lobby will be perfect for testing out my version of this top.

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We’re getting some monsoon moisture—not enough to be significant, but it is wonderful to get some rain. I prepped the area in the garden for another batch of peas and another couple of rows of lettuce. I am trying to think creatively about gardening going forward, because I have seen some information that indicates that this may be a climate shift that persists for years and possibly decades. If we’re going to have excessively hot, dry summers, then I need to change a few things. Peas, broccoli, and cauliflower may have to become fall crops.

And it’s raining hard enough now that I think I will spend the morning on pattern drafting.