Moneta top hack


I love a 1 metre make, especially when the fabric was good value in the first place. I bought this Liberty jersey at the Knitting and Stitching Show from the Sewbox stand. They have lots of packs of Liberty fabrics pre-cut into 1m, 2m and sometimes even 3m lengths. I picked this 1m pack up, thinking I might just get a long sleeved top out of it. It was tight but I managed it in the end!


Fabric

Sewbox always are a good place to stop if you are in the market for Liberty fabrics at a lower price than you might find elsewhere. This metre of jersey cost me £16, which is about the top end of what I would pay for fabric but it's definitely worth it. The fabric itself is beautifully soft and has enough substance to it not to be opaque. When I compare to other jersey fabrics that I have, it's more similar to viscose jersey (which has more drape) than Art Gallery cotton jersey (which is thicker). It's just right for a long sleeved top, being breathable yet also warm.


Pattern, Instructions and Alterations

I have made two Moneta dresses before and in both of them I raised the neckline at the front and the back to my preferred boat neck style. This post has lots of details about the pattern and instructions - needless to say I'm a fan as this is my third time using the pattern. (Link to where you can buy the pattern here). I used the same pattern pieces for the adjusted neckline and instead lengthened the bodice by about 5 inches. On the original pattern the side seams taper in to the waist because it's intended to meet a skirt. As this was for a top that was going to finish at a lower and wider point, I didn't keep the tapering. The side seams were just cut straight down from the arm hole. The sleeves are as long as I could make them with the fabric that I had (I just extended the original pattern pieces as far as I could go).

Colette Moneta hacks

I also altered the construction a little this time by using fusible seam tape at the neckline as well. I've seen it in other patterns and talked about by other sewists so gave it a try for this. Essentially, it's a strip of fusible interfacing that has stitches sewn into it. When you fix it to the fabric, it has the same effect as stay stitching and prevents the area from stretching and sagging out of shape. I fixed it to the entire length of the back neckline and shoulders, and only to the neckline at the front. I joined the front and back bodices at the shoulders, then turned under the necklines and topstitched all across the top, including at the shoulders. I really recommend trying out fusible seam tape as I'm pleased with the overall results - the final finish is cleaner and more stable.


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Welcome to Sewing and Other Stories; my journeys with sewing and knitting; pattern reviews, tips and guides for beginners. I'm also the designer behind West Beach Knits knitting patterns and I host a Knitting and Sewing channel on YouTube where you can see all of this in person. Come have a look!

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