Stylearc Dixie

I think my endless summer might have finally come to an end.  I know that many others may not find Queensland weather to be cold, but this week is the coldest I have been in years.  I can't remember when I last wore jeans and I actually went running in capri length leggings this week.  This means that I can change the way I think about what I wear, and therefore what I sew.

First up, I have sewn a Stylearc Dixie woven top.

The pattern illustration is colour-blocked, although I have chosen different colour blocking for my combination of fabrics.

• My yoke is made from a Japanese fabric that I bought in Japan several years ago.  I'm not sure what this fabric is called, but it seemed terribly expensive for a little square and has a crepe-y sort of texture.
• For the back and neck binding I have used a linen from Tessuti (Turquoise Flip). I haven't sewn with linen for a long time and I really enjoyed working with this fabric.  I did use a different method of applying the binding than the pattern instructions suggest.  I made bias binding with folds on each edge using a bias-binder thingy-ma-jig.  I sewed in the line of one fold, as I attached the binding to the inside of the top.  Then I folded the binding in half, with the other folded edge turned under and top-stitched from the outside.
• The front body and sleeves are made from a crinkle woven remnant from The Fabric Store.  The crinkles mean that the fabric stretches out quite a bit with movement.  I lined the front body with a lightweight cotton, as it was a bit sheer on its own.  I cut the hem of the lining shorter and straight across.

The line drawing describes the sleeves as 3/4, but the illustration and pattern show elbow length sleeves.  My sleeves look a lot fuller and floppier than the illustration because of my fabric choice.  The crinkle fabric stretches out when I move my arm.  Re-wetting the fabric shrinks the crinkles back in, so the sleeves will come back to shape each wash.  Initially I used the blue linen for the sleeves, decorated with trims to match the yoke.  They were very elaborate, but I found these sleeves way too restrictive.  I knew that restrictive sleeves would stop me wearing the top, so I ripped them out and put in the crinkle sleeves, which don't look as smart but are infinitely more comfortable.

The pattern has a curved hem.  The instructions given are for a split hem, which did confuse me for a while.  I contacted Stylearc and they are going to change these instructions.  I just thought I would mention it as no other reviewer has mentioned this and I thought I was misunderstanding the instructions for a bit. 

The back has both horizontal and vertical seaming, which is a nice detail and allows for easy alterations for more back shaping (although I didn't think to do this until I finished all my top-stitching).  The neck closes with a button and loop.

So does this mean I need to change the name of my blog?  I'll have to think about it.