Itch To Stitch Blog Tour: Mila Shirt

Happy Tuesday all! It’s been a while since I sewed something that wasn’t a cropped top or wide-leg pants. Today I’m mixing it up as part of the Itch to Stitch Blog Tour. This blog tour is one of the largest of which I’ve been a part. There are several talented bloggers and generous sponsors participating. Be sure to read all the way to the bottom for info on winning one of the amazing prizes. Kennis of Itch to Stitch has an impressive pattern library so narrowing down an idea took me a bit of time. Eventually I settled on the idea of sewing a Mila Shirt as I thought it would be a great transitional piece as the weather changes from blazing heat to cooler fall weather.  Bonus: Kennis has agreed to put the pattern on a special sale just for the tour.  Today only snag it for just $9.

One of our wonderful sponsors Tammy of  D+H Fabrics Co was kind enough to send me this beautiful rayon designed by See You at Six fabrics. She had this fabric imported from Belgium in order to carry it in her shop. In my opinion it was 100% worth it because this stuff is glorious. I cut this project out at a sewing night last week and nearly everyone there was “oohing” and “ahhing” over it. It’s that good.

The colors in this fabric will fit into my wardrobe year-round while the print is busy enough to hide any minor construction flaws and food stains. In fact, immediately before these photos were taken, my son tripped and fell on the cement. He was fine, but a little shaken up. Naturally, however, he wiped his tears and snot directly on my shirt. You’d never know it though, because this print hides it all. Moral of the story: if you have children, work with children, or are just a messy eater (also me) you need this print in your wardrobe.

Now that I’ve given you the low down on this fabric; let’s talk about this pattern and the modifications I made to the Mila in order to better fit my style. I have this quirk about long-sleeved woven tops like the Mila. I just don’t really like them unless they’re made in flannel. I find that fabrics like rayon challis don’t actually provide much warmth when layering and I’d rather just have short sleeves so they can be worn year-round. I also like that there won’t be added bulk when I choose to wear a cardigan over this shirt. In order to achieve this, I made an extremely simple modification. The sleeves are cut 2 inches above the sleeve lengthen/shorten line. I sewed a 1″ hem and then rolled it twice for the cuffed look. Simple, right? This change made the Mila shoot to the top of my favorite patterns pretty quickly. 

I did make one other straightforward modification to my Mila. Since the print on this fabric is rather busy, I knew the back pleat detail wouldn’t be noticeable and decided to do away with it. Instead, I gathered the back to fit the yoke and the result is simple and fuss-free. Just the way I like it. 

Let’s talk sizing: One reason I love sewing Itch to Stitch patterns is that the sizing always seems to be spot on. I also love that Kennis provides separate cup sizes. As someone who should probably be making a small bust adjustment on clothing (I never do), I appreciate that the work is basically done for me here. For this top I sewed a size 4 with the A cup. I graded to an 8 at the hips, but probably could’ve gotten away with just grading to a 6. Since I am  5’10” I also added 1″ to the length of this shirt.

On to the construction. About 70% of the sewing process went nice and smooth. The other 30% was a different story.  I had a sick child while sewing this so I was sleep deprived which likely contributed to my mistakes. My missteps while sewing all revolved around the placket. Itch to Stitch patterns always have great detailed instructions which are extremely helpful if you actually read them. My first mistake was simply glancing at the diagram and sewing without reading. I sewed the placket to the right side of the fabric instead of the wrong side and had cut the placket opening before realizing my faux pas. Thanks to fray check and a steady hand with the seam ripper, I was able to remedy my mistake without too much time or effort lost. 

One thing I must admit is that it almost felt weird sewing something tunic length after going through a cropped shirt phase. I almost didn’t know how to style this top, but decided to keep it simple and pair it with these Ginger Jeans. Once cooler weather hits I can see this top easily paired with leggings and a cozy cardigan or Wiksten Kimono. In spring and summer, it would be equally lovely tucked into a skirt. I’m thinking a black Lawley Skirt? Overall, I’m giddy about this make. I think it will make a great transition piece and I’m obsessed with this fabric. Now my question is how much of this fabric is too much? I just might need more of it. 

Thanks for reading all about my Mila. Are you ready for some more Itch to Stitch inspiration? Read below and follow the links to check out all of this week’s bloggers. 

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