Two Striped Tops

At this time of year I always gravitate towards a matelot top, waiting for those early spring days. The freshness of blue and white stripes just feel right. This year I added a couple of simple variations to my wardrobe; both made from viscose single jerseys.

Viscose tends to be more fluid than cotton with plenty of drape. The two striped fabrics I have owned for years are very different. The deeper 15mm stripe is about twice the weight of the narrow stripe. This I decided to make up in a version of The Big Easy Top. Ideally the Big Easy Top should be made in a heavier jersey; sweat-shirting, fleece or boiled wool. Previously I have made a tunic version of The Big Easy in a viscose jersey but this time I wanted a square T-shirt shape with a round neck.

So I decided to use the Boxy shape swapping out the funnel neck for the round neck and use the narrow sleeve. I also shortened the sleeve slightly as I didn't want to turn them back.

Due to the fabric weight I decided to drop down a size from M to S and I removed the 1cm seam allowance; this creates a much neater garment. 

I finished the neck, cuffs and hem with a 4mm twin-needle hem.

The finished garment is a classic long-sleeved matelot style T-shirt.

The second top in the narrow strip needed to be treated quite differently. As it is a much finer jersey, it can have a tendency to cling, just where you don’t want it too. So for this fabric I thought I would experiment with The Tie Detail Top with its fluid batwing style shape but omit the ties and the centre front openings; stitching the centre front seam all the way from hem to neckline. However, to counteract swapping a stable woven fabric for the instability of the thin jersey, I decided to drop a size from a 12 to a 10.

Again I finished the neck, cuffs and hem with the twin-needle stitched hem – I like the professional finish that means the top holds its shape but still has the stretch required when putting the garment on.

The finished garment is a much more unusual shape but I like that.

The fabrics I’ve used here are from several seasons ago, however a quick ‘google’ of ‘stripped viscose jersey stripes’ should bring up a readily available selection. Remember when buying fabric online it’s always best to get a sample first.