Beading and Outline Stitch Embellishment

T-shirts are, well, not complimentary.

The neckline of a Tshirt works for him!

They are boxy and have a neckline that may have worked for Dennis The Menace, but has never been included in a list of “fashion musts” or “this spring’s runway styles.”

But knit fabrics do win for comfort.  So, the Search for the Perfect Knit Top  – Not a T-shirt – was commenced.

Fitted, Comfortable and Embellished!

Rules (more like guidelines):

1. Stash Fabric
2. Princess seaming
3. Flared below the waistline (AKA:  muffin top camouflage)
4. Sleeveless preferred.  No raglan sleeves.
5. V-neck preferred
6. Curved hem, slightly longer in back.
7. Embellishment whenever possible

The combination of princess seaming and v-neck did not appear in the Pattern Stash.

Simplicity 1466

Simplicity 1466 seemed to meet all rules guidelines except for the V-neck. The princess seaming with the curved hem (and the $2.00 price tag) won me over – even though I am not a fan of a wide horizontal yoke.

The fabric is a knit remnant left over from a failed attempt at a different blouse.  Failed garments happen to us all.

Lower Hem Curve

The top went together easily.  I toyed with a plain colored yoke, but did not want to emphasize the width of the yoke.

Pattern modifications included adding width (a total of 2″) to the hem.  With all the seams, this was accomplished by adding just a slight amount to each  vertical seam starting just below the waist.

The brown and off-white print was a bit too brown and off-white.  It needed something.

Bright raspberry pink beading and edging were added to the yoke. Running stitch in the same color embroidery thread highlights the printed design.

Yoke and princess seam embellishment

A slight vertical accent was added by adding decorative hand stitching to  the front princess seams.

Is this the Perfect Knit Top – close, but no.

It wins for fit and the hem curve is perfect, but the high horizontal yoke is too high and too horizontal.

With a V-neck, it might have been The Perfect Knit Top.