Say hello to the Bellavista! The newest pattern release from Itch to Stitch Designs!
I have been telling myself for ages I needed a comfy knit top for work. We are not suppose to wear t-shirts so I was reduced to wearing a few knit tops I had made earlier this year but were not quite right for the job. I work part time for Hallmark and do a lot of walking, lifting, bending and moving about in a day. I frequently have my arms high above my head and it is not hard to show some belly. Ummm, no.
But, I don’t always come first in my sewing line-up; think…first grand baby and you get the drift, so I was ecstatic when Kennis accepted my tester app for her latest; a cozy looking knit top, the Bellavista. Being a tester meant I would get my new tops!
I just love the Bellavista, the style is right up my alley! Oh and she is so quick to sew. I signed up to sew the bell sleeve crew neck and using the serger managed to sew 3 of them in what amounted to a half a day. IF I had been better organized and thinking ahead, I could have batch cut and sewn and finished everything up in 3 hours or so. YES, it is that quick and easy. I have a plethora of knits in my stash so had plenty of fabric choices on hand.
Here is an excerpt of the pattern description: The Bellavista Top comes in a comfortable swing bodice with a center-front panel. It also comes with two neck options and two sleeve options. Use a sweater knit to make a sweater, or a jersey to make a T-shirt.
The swing bodice and bell sleeves are what makes this pattern for me! These design features make for a roomy and comfortable top and allow for lots of movement. All of my versions were sewn size 12 and 4 of them have a narrow shoulder adjustment.
This orange print below is another super soft cotton knit from Art Gallery. This is probably my favorite crew neck version.
Although not really noticeable, I actually cut the front panel on the crosswise for this version as well. I wished I had offset the pattern in addition for more contrast.
I was not going to sew a cowl version. I don’t have any cowls in my closet and have never bought any rtw cowl type tops. I changed my mine after seeing other tester versions of the cowl.
This time I collected three coordinating fabrics; a rich and luscious dark purple wool merino knit from Nature’s Fabrics, a floral digital knit from Elliot Berman Textiles and a thrifted green tube rib knit of which I only had a single yard.
It was a bit of puzzle getting the pieces the way I wanted but it all worked out. I cut all the pieces at once, found a neutral serger color (dark brown strangely enough) which I could use on all three fabrics and carved out 2 hours to sew both of them. While sitting at the serger I seamed until I could not go further without pressing. Pressed. Seamed more, pressed, hemmed and done!
Zip, zip, zip! Because of earlier preparations and Kennis’ outstanding pattern drafting and instructions it was fast. I just love it when all the notches line up and are where they should be for ease of construction. Thank you Kennis!
Now, I have 5 new tops for work (pictures of the last cowl when it warms up some!!) and a willingness to at least give other cowls a try!
You can purchase your pattern here!
Judy
