Kasey’s Birthday Ponte Knit Top

Kasey recently celebrated her birthday with a new Ponte knit top.  Don’t we give ourselves the best gifts? 
Happy Birthday Kasey!

I’ve wanted to make Vogue 1567 for a long time: a simple top, three pieces to the pattern, in a nice, comfy ponté.
The ponté from Roz is perfect, too – a good weight, easy to sew, easy to care for. I’ve been washing (and drying in the dryer! shhh…) this ponté for years, and it hasn’t pilled, faded, or stretched out at all.

White Ponte Knit

This pattern, a Paco Peralta design, is a bit of a fabric hog – here’s the fabric layout – but if you sew with ponté a lot or are using the same color for another project, you can keep your scraps for small panels, pocket bags or even some color blocking.

Since it’s a kimono-type blouse, an FBA can be a bit tricky; I measured the front bust width, and since it’s pretty roomy, to begin with, I just added an inch and a half to the center front and to the under-arm seam at the back, and it worked well for me. But since it’s so quick to make, you could do a muslin to test the fit too.

Unlike many other patterns that claim to be fun to sew, this one actually is! It’s a bit of a puzzle, but not too bad, and as long as you follow the instructions, it comes together easily. The main instructions are for a regular sewing machine, but I used my serger. A quick tip: the back neckline gets finished before it’s attached to the front bodice, so if you have a combo coverstitch and serger like I do, you’ll need to convert your machine twice. Not a big deal, but something to be aware of.

 

There’s a 2-inch-wide front (self?) facing; I went ahead and did a row of pick-stitching at the top and bottom to control the flap – I just can’t stand loose facings!

I also added lingerie carriers made with twill tape; the ponté is a bit heavy, so I didn’t think the usual thread carriers would work well. But you don’t have to add the carriers, the design is meant to be a slash top and hang very slightly off the shoulder.

The back is a v-neck, but not terribly low; a scarf or shawl will keep the chill off if needed.

All in all, a fun, quick top to make in fall colors, and in ponté, a warm and cozy top for our (not so cold) fall weather in Houston!