4 years ago
Hello! I am excited to share with you today about making me Evelyn blouse by Experimental Space. I received this pattern from Minerva in exchange for creating this post. I really appreciate the style and detail elements that are included in Experimental Space patterns. This is my first time sewing one of her patterns so I’m looking forward to sharing about it with you. The inspiration for me behind picking this pattern is that I’d like to add more professional garments to my handmade wardrobe.
Along with making this top I wanted to try a pattern hack to convert it into a bodysuit. I grew up in the 80s and wore bodysuits in the 90s. Back then, the bodysuits I wore were made from knit fabrics and were form fitting. I’ve noticed in commercial clothing in the last few years a bodysuit bodysuit element that’s been new to me. In case you’re not familiar with it, another bodysuit option is a woven top that is loose but includes a bodysuit element on the bottom. The purpose of this bodysuit feature is that your woven top will stay tucked in. I fiddle with tops when I dress up, trying to keep them tucked in. I have purchased a few woven commercial tops with this bodysuit feature and love wearing them!
For the fabric, I’m using a crêpe that I used for this previous Minerva project.
https://www.minerva.com/posts/1118986
https://www.minerva.com/posts/1118987
I love that the pattern on the fabric is more abstract. It can look like polka dots, animal print, or flowers depending how you look at it. Black and white prints are always a staple in my wardrobe.
In my previous time working with this crepe fabric, I did a starch treatment to stabilize the fabric prior to sewing with it. If you’re not familiar with this treatment option, check out my previous Minerva posts for more details. I had fabric left over from that project that still had starch added to it. I enjoyed using pre-stabilized fabric for this project as a timesaver. Pre-treating drapey fabrics with starch makes them quicker and easier starting from the cutting through the sewing process.
Pattern: Evelyn Blouse by Experimental Space
My Size in the pattern: Cara, Dee, Eve
My body dimensions: High Bust: 33”, Full Bust: 36”, Waist: 30.5”, Hips: 39.5”
Seam allowance: ⅝”, included
My modifications:
Trace all of the pattern pieces (given on the fold) to cut them on the flat: Front Bodice, Back Bodice, Sleeve, Collar, Front Detail
Grade the across three sizes (Cara/Dee/Eve)
Add the bodysuit element to the bottom of the top
Use pre-starched crepe fabric (that washes out after sewing the top)
Block fuse the collar prior to cutting out the pattern piece
Note: The designer is expanding her size range for the patterns that she offers. The paper pattern that I sewed is (Bust size range 33.5”(85.1 cm) - 45.5”(115.6cm) but on her website shows the size range has now expanded to a 55” bust size as well.
Supplies:
Evelyn Pattern by Elemental Space
1.4m Crepe fabric
1 pair of underwear (that fits you well, preferable a new pair)
0.1m lightweight fusible interfacing
2 Snaps (and snap plyer tool)
3” x 6” knit fabric (to add to the underwear at the snap section)
Grosgrain ribbon
Sewing process:
I have sewn a couple of collared shirts for myself and my husband so I was excited to jump into this top. The front detail took me some time to study and think through the construction order. In case this is helpful to you, you will sew the sides of the front detail together first (with the right sides together) and then turn it inside out. The V portion will be left open and sewn at the same time to the front bodice. The seams for the V detail will be hidden as you flip the front detail around to the front of the top. I went slow with each step but always appreciate taking the time upfront to work with the fabric. It is always worth the extra time for me to take my time with each step for the results in the finished top.
I have a photo showing how I left the beginning of the stitches long (figure D in the pattern) so that I could pull them through the back and tie them. I love doing little details like this to hide the finishing of the threads. Technically, I had a small issue with the top of the front detail showing through under the collar. I’m going to ask if the designer can add some more pictures to further share these steps for reference. It’s not a huge deal and you don’t really notice it. That’s the kind of thing that I can hide after the fact with hand tacking stitches.
I appreciated that the finishing steps of the top are beautiful inside and out. She recommends French seams for the shoulders and side seams. I always prefer to trim the fabric after the first French seam so that I don’t have edges of the fabric showing through in the second seam.
The sleeves are lined for a smooth finish. It’s a few extra steps but again it’s worth it in the end. She has you attach one sleeve, sew the V detail, then attach the second sleeve to hide all of the seams.
I sewed this top in the summer so I chose to do a few steps by hand with a needle and thread. Finishing of the collar on the inside of the top, I stitched this in place by hand. Also in finishing the sleeves on the inside, I finished this by hand. Although sometimes it seems handstitching takes longer, I can take the garment with me in the summer and do the stitches while I am away from my sewing machine. It doesn’t end up taking me longer in the end and I’m always happier with the finished look of hand stitches.
I did not sew a bottom hem to the top as instead I added the bodysuit element.
Bodysuit pattern hack:
I wanted to share that I loosely referenced the following tutorial:
https://www.chalkandnotch.com/orchid-bodysuit-tutorial/
For my size and my torso length, I did not add length to the front and back bodice in my Evelyn top prior to attaching the bodysuit/underwear element (as suggested in the above tutorial). This requirement may differ for you depending on your torso length, size, and fitting preferences.
To save time, for the bodysuit element I used a new pair of commercial underwear. You could absolutely follow the tutorial and create your own bodysuit element out of knit fabric, I just thought I would skip this step to save time.
I sewed the bottom edge of the top with a basting stitch at a ⅝” seam allowance. I started the basting stitch at one side seam across the front of the top, stopping at the next side seam and then did the same for the back.
I pinned the top to the underwear by aligning the side seams on the top to the side seams of the underwear. I adjusted the gathering in the front and the back evenly between the side seams. There was more material in the front then the back (just in the design of the top).
I then carefully tried on the top to check the length and to make sure that I enclosed all of the gathered edges of the top in the seam.
Using a serger I finished this seam in a stretch stitch for ease in putting the top on and taking it off as well.
I followed the steps in the tutorial for the snaps but I added a little fabric panel/extension as well. I used a scrap of bamboo jersey in my stash that was 3” wide by 6” long. I serged the edges of this panel together, leaving an opening to turn it right side out. I attached the bamboo panel to the back of the underwear and added grosgrain ribbon to the underneath side of the front. The ribbon acts as a stabilizer to help add stability for the snaps.
Along with making this top I wanted to try a pattern hack to convert it into a bodysuit. I grew up in the 80s and wore bodysuits in the 90s. Back then, the bodysuits I wore were made from knit fabrics and were form fitting. I’ve noticed in commercial clothing in the last few years a bodysuit bodysuit element that’s been new to me. In case you’re not familiar with it, another bodysuit option is a woven top that is loose but includes a bodysuit element on the bottom. The purpose of this bodysuit feature is that your woven top will stay tucked in. I fiddle with tops when I dress up, trying to keep them tucked in. I have purchased a few woven commercial tops with this bodysuit feature and love wearing them!
For the fabric, I’m using a crêpe that I used for this previous Minerva project.
https://www.minerva.com/posts/1118986
https://www.minerva.com/posts/1118987
I love that the pattern on the fabric is more abstract. It can look like polka dots, animal print, or flowers depending how you look at it. Black and white prints are always a staple in my wardrobe.
In my previous time working with this crepe fabric, I did a starch treatment to stabilize the fabric prior to sewing with it. If you’re not familiar with this treatment option, check out my previous Minerva posts for more details. I had fabric left over from that project that still had starch added to it. I enjoyed using pre-stabilized fabric for this project as a timesaver. Pre-treating drapey fabrics with starch makes them quicker and easier starting from the cutting through the sewing process.
Pattern: Evelyn Blouse by Experimental Space
My Size in the pattern: Cara, Dee, Eve
My body dimensions: High Bust: 33”, Full Bust: 36”, Waist: 30.5”, Hips: 39.5”
Seam allowance: ⅝”, included
My modifications:
Trace all of the pattern pieces (given on the fold) to cut them on the flat: Front Bodice, Back Bodice, Sleeve, Collar, Front Detail
Grade the across three sizes (Cara/Dee/Eve)
Add the bodysuit element to the bottom of the top
Use pre-starched crepe fabric (that washes out after sewing the top)
Block fuse the collar prior to cutting out the pattern piece
Note: The designer is expanding her size range for the patterns that she offers. The paper pattern that I sewed is (Bust size range 33.5”(85.1 cm) - 45.5”(115.6cm) but on her website shows the size range has now expanded to a 55” bust size as well.
Supplies:
Evelyn Pattern by Elemental Space
1.4m Crepe fabric
1 pair of underwear (that fits you well, preferable a new pair)
0.1m lightweight fusible interfacing
2 Snaps (and snap plyer tool)
3” x 6” knit fabric (to add to the underwear at the snap section)
Grosgrain ribbon
Sewing process:
I have sewn a couple of collared shirts for myself and my husband so I was excited to jump into this top. The front detail took me some time to study and think through the construction order. In case this is helpful to you, you will sew the sides of the front detail together first (with the right sides together) and then turn it inside out. The V portion will be left open and sewn at the same time to the front bodice. The seams for the V detail will be hidden as you flip the front detail around to the front of the top. I went slow with each step but always appreciate taking the time upfront to work with the fabric. It is always worth the extra time for me to take my time with each step for the results in the finished top.
I have a photo showing how I left the beginning of the stitches long (figure D in the pattern) so that I could pull them through the back and tie them. I love doing little details like this to hide the finishing of the threads. Technically, I had a small issue with the top of the front detail showing through under the collar. I’m going to ask if the designer can add some more pictures to further share these steps for reference. It’s not a huge deal and you don’t really notice it. That’s the kind of thing that I can hide after the fact with hand tacking stitches.
I appreciated that the finishing steps of the top are beautiful inside and out. She recommends French seams for the shoulders and side seams. I always prefer to trim the fabric after the first French seam so that I don’t have edges of the fabric showing through in the second seam.
The sleeves are lined for a smooth finish. It’s a few extra steps but again it’s worth it in the end. She has you attach one sleeve, sew the V detail, then attach the second sleeve to hide all of the seams.
I sewed this top in the summer so I chose to do a few steps by hand with a needle and thread. Finishing of the collar on the inside of the top, I stitched this in place by hand. Also in finishing the sleeves on the inside, I finished this by hand. Although sometimes it seems handstitching takes longer, I can take the garment with me in the summer and do the stitches while I am away from my sewing machine. It doesn’t end up taking me longer in the end and I’m always happier with the finished look of hand stitches.
I did not sew a bottom hem to the top as instead I added the bodysuit element.
Bodysuit pattern hack:
I wanted to share that I loosely referenced the following tutorial:
https://www.chalkandnotch.com/orchid-bodysuit-tutorial/
For my size and my torso length, I did not add length to the front and back bodice in my Evelyn top prior to attaching the bodysuit/underwear element (as suggested in the above tutorial). This requirement may differ for you depending on your torso length, size, and fitting preferences.
To save time, for the bodysuit element I used a new pair of commercial underwear. You could absolutely follow the tutorial and create your own bodysuit element out of knit fabric, I just thought I would skip this step to save time.
I sewed the bottom edge of the top with a basting stitch at a ⅝” seam allowance. I started the basting stitch at one side seam across the front of the top, stopping at the next side seam and then did the same for the back.
I pinned the top to the underwear by aligning the side seams on the top to the side seams of the underwear. I adjusted the gathering in the front and the back evenly between the side seams. There was more material in the front then the back (just in the design of the top).
I then carefully tried on the top to check the length and to make sure that I enclosed all of the gathered edges of the top in the seam.
Using a serger I finished this seam in a stretch stitch for ease in putting the top on and taking it off as well.
I followed the steps in the tutorial for the snaps but I added a little fabric panel/extension as well. I used a scrap of bamboo jersey in my stash that was 3” wide by 6” long. I serged the edges of this panel together, leaving an opening to turn it right side out. I attached the bamboo panel to the back of the underwear and added grosgrain ribbon to the underneath side of the front. The ribbon acts as a stabilizer to help add stability for the snaps.
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