Pink is one of my favorite colors, mostly because wearing it gives my cheeks a rosy glow! I also started taking adult ballet classes about a year ago, and I’ve been meaning to make a ballet-style wrap to wear during warm-ups. Not any pink jersey would do though; lots of the fabric I found were made in mostly polyester and were often a coral, orange tone. Finding the right color as well as a breathable, natural fabric was a priority. That’s why I was more than delighted to get the chance to work with this John Kaldor Monaco Jersey Fabric in blush pink. Made of mostly viscose and a bit of elastane, it’s delightfully light, soft, and the perfect pink color for the wrap I had in mind.

I decided to make the Coppélia Wrap Top by Papercut Patterns in a size XXS (corresponding to the bust size 82 cm and waist 62 cm) in the cropped length. I’d made this pattern once before in a black ponte knit, but I recommend a fabric with more stretch, otherwise it hugs the armpits a bit too tightly for comfort. This fabric is very stretchy but not slippery, so as long as I was careful handling the pieces, it didn’t shift too much underneath the pattern paper.
I also shortened the sleeve from a long sleeve to a ¾ length sleeve because I find this length more flattering and I personally don’t like having my arms fully encased. I did this by removing about 5 ½ inches from the length and adjusting the sleeve cuff to fit the width of the shortened sleeve.

To sew this fabric, I used a 70/10 jersey stretch needle and a walking foot to prevent the bottom layer of fabric from shifting. As lovely and soft as this fabric is, it is somewhat difficult to sew, as its very stretchy nature needs to be controlled underneath the machine, even with the help of a walking foot. I made sure to sew slowly, guided the fabric carefully without pushing or pulling too much, and used tissue paper underneath the fabric at seam beginnings and ends to keep the fabric from being pushed into the machine by the needle. As you can see, the finish isn’t too bad, but the seams do waver and bunch a bit along the front neckline. A little light pressing helps straighten them, and I’m pretty happy with the resulting look.

The instructions included with this pattern are illustrated but not detailed. Therefore, based on this and the difficulty of sewing light, stretchy fabrics, I would recommend this pattern for intermediate sewists rather than beginners despite the relatively simple construction and design.

I would especially like to point out a tip for the neckline band. Once the band is sewn on, the instructions say to cut off the excess fabric at the bottom hems. Not thinking, I cut off one side straight across the tie. But then while I was attaching the hem band, I realized that cutting it so made the hemline wonky. Luckily, I was able to cut the other side diagonally and sew the other side normally, but one side is decidedly messed up.

I have included a diagram I created to help illustrate how I would recommend cutting off the excess neckband fabric.

The overall fit is good, but I prefer wraps that fully cover my bust, so I do wrap this top a bit tighter than it’s meant to be. This fabric is so stretchy and forgiving that this slight modification is unnoticeable.

The cropped length of this wrap top sits slightly below the natural waistline, but it’s possible to tie it higher to adjust the length. I also really like the fit in the back. The ties are not long enough to tie in front and I like the way it ties at the small of the back. The neckline also hugs the back of the neck very comfortably.

All in all, I am very pleased with this garment and I’ve been wearing it constantly since finishing it! This fabric is quite light and stretchy, so I do have to be careful to wear a camisole underneath to create smooth lines and prevent transparency. The fabric also gives this pattern more of a slouchy, relaxed look, which I love. Best of all, it’s super soft and feels lovely against the skin, while being perfectly breathable at the same time. It is a pleasure to wear and I’m very happy with the final result!

Thank for reading and I’ll be back with another make soon!
Sarah
@sarah__naomi_

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