I have to be honest, woven t-shirts are usually not my friend. I have a hard time fitting them and bias tape makes me cringe (but so do facings)….it’s so hard. But, before my trip to Utah I really wanted to sew up some new rayon tops and was so happy I did – there’s nothing better than traveling with a brand new handmade wardrobe, right?? So let’s talk about the Harmony Blouse from Love Notions in the new spring CLUB rayon from Raspberry Creek Fabrics!
This post contains affiliate links.
The Pattern and The Blouse
The Harmony Blouse is a new release from Love Notions and is a woven pattern that is fitted at the bust and flares out at the waist and hip. It is drafted to be a high low hem – a feature I just love! There are bust darts and a center back seam for shaping. To keep it as a simple top, it features a keyhole closure for a beautiful feminine look.
Like so many of the Love Notion patterns, it features tons of options – four sleeve options (sleeveless, short, cap, and flutter). It also features a full bust adjustment front piece too so no thinking involved if you need a FBA piece. I sewed up the size medium as I was in between a small and medium on the size chart. I think I most definetly could have sized down at least to a small. Even though it’s a flowy top, I think sizing down would have given a better look on the neckline for me and would possibly make the neckline less wide.
Also, I had a lot of trouble sewing up the loop closure – sometimes the most simple things really confuse my brain! I think next time I will leave off the closure as I don’t actually need it in order to get the top over my head due to the scoop neckline.
The Benefit of Making Your Own Bias Tape
If you’ve been around here for a while you know I hate making bias tape, but guys – I made my own bias tape! And, even better, I would recommend it with rayons. Using self bias tape made sure that the fabric used for the bias tape was complementary to the top fabric. Otherwise, I don’t think it would lay as flat. I used bias tape for both the hem and the neck – although it gives you the option to sew a regular hem on the hem.
Don’t Skip This Step!
I can’t stress enough the importance of stay stitching when sewing with rayon! It’s a step I ALWAYS want to skip – always – but it is ALWAYS a bad decision to skip it. Before I started sewing I stay stitched all the necklines and the arm holes. It made setting in the sleeve and sewing up the bias tape neckline so much easier. The instructions have you set the sleeve in in the round, but I like setting sleeves flat – much much easier!
The Fabric
Raspberry Creek Fabrics was so kind and sent me two yards of their beautiful new rayon. It’s no secret around here that I love Raspberry Creek Fabrics but feel like often they are known for their knits. Their wovens are just as amazing and this print is part of their CLUB line that they print in their store! While I was out in Utah I even got to see the process – it was incredible. If you haven’t checked out their spring rayon collection, I would highly suggest it – it is so beautiful and would be a great match for so many of the new patterns for spring!
The rayon is perfect for this top because of how drapey it is. Rayon and I have been in a little bit of a fight for a while due to it’s perpetual shiftness, but I was super diligent about ironing this fabric which made it behave 100% better. If you’re getting frustrated by sewing rayon, take a step back and press it to make sure it’s in it’s best form!
Doesn’t this top just scream spring?? Now, let’s bring on the warm weather!
Raspberry Creek Fabrics kindly sent me the fabric used in my Harmony free of charge, but as always, all opinions are my own.
Leave a Reply