A Very Wearable Toile; True Bias Calvin Top

Now, if anyone has stuck around and read most of these blog posts, they have probably learned a few things about me. One of them would be that I rarely make a toile - and if I do, it's a wearable one not a real toile. This garment is a wearable toile.


The only reason I tend to make a wearable toile is because it's a style I don't usually wear - and boy is this different from my usual style! Before this top, there was precisely nothing that wrapped in my wardrobe. I always worried that because I am bigger than average on top, that it wouldn't suit me. But one of the things I love about sewing at the moment is trying things that are a little out of my comfort zone, so off I went!

This is the True Bias Calvin, made up as a top. I realised when I finished my 'Shelby Rip-Off' dress that I had an awful lot of fabric left, and given it was a rayon (I think, it was from the Birmingham Rag Market in 2019 so I don't exactly remember now!) it was the right amount of drape for this too. I planned touse premade bias in maroon if I didn't have enough fabric to make it, but actually there was plenty. I made sure I cut all the top pieces first, then turned the rest into bias binding - and while I was at it I made a bunch of other bias out of some scrap pieces and the fabric I was going to use for my dress version. I think I spent my sewing time over a few weeks just making bias!

I sewed this up in a size 10, and I really like it! The style is actually really flattering - there is no gaping on me and even though it is low cut I don't feel indecent in it (although it won't ever get worn to work...) The only thing I would change for next time would be to lengthen the top a little bit. I found when wearing it it's a bit of a strange length - not quite long enough to wear shorts that sit on my hips, but a little long for a true crop because of the wrap on my waistline. That's not a hard thing to change though and next time I have a nice big scrap I'll make another top! For this version I just hemmed it with the smallest seam allowance I could manager, and I'll have to remember to wear it with high waisted shorts.

This was a really easy way to test out a new style on me, and then I used some spectacular fabric for the dress version - but that's a story for next week!

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