Coffee and Thread Lana Color-block Hack

Hello! Today I’m happy to be part of the Coffee and Thread Lana Tour. The Lana pattern (grab it here) comes with a ruffle sleeve and top or dress options. At the request of many tour participants, Olga has also added a long sleeve option. Winter is quickly approaching here in Utah and since I’m always freezing, sewing a long sleeved version was a no-brainer.

I hemmed and hawed over fabric choice for weeks. My indecision was made worse by the fact that I felt conflicted over buying new fabric. With the holidays approaching, I’m trying to save some of my fabric budget for gifts. Indecisiveness turned out to be a good thing in this situation because I realized last Friday that it was too late to be ordering fabric and  would have to come up with something from my stash. Upon opening my bin of large knit scraps I found navy, burgundy, and oatmeal french terry (all from Raspberry Creek Fabrics). Jackpot! One problem: I had about 3/4 yard of the navy, 1/2 yard of the oatmeal, and 1/4 yard of the burgundy. There wasn’t enough of any of them for the entire top.

This turned out to be one of those “make it work” moments that made me thankful for Pinterest. I searched “color-block long sleeve top” and came across this pin of an Abercrombie top that immediately won my vote. Recreating it seemed simple enough so I laid out my fabric and got to work. Ready to make your own? Let’s do this!

Preparing the bodice:

1. Cut a straight line across the front and back bodice pieces 3/8″ below the armscye. Add a 3/8″ seam allowance to the bottom of the bodice top and the top of the bodice bottom.

(FYI: I didn’t actually add the seam allowance to the pattern pieces. Instead I threw caution to the wind and just eyeballed cutting an extra 3/8″ where the new seam allowances should be added.)

Now, let’s prepare the sleeves:

2. Cut a straight line across the sleeve about 2.5 inches below the sleeve top. Now your sleeve is in two pieces. Add seam allowances (as directed in bodice instructions) and set the upper sleeve piece aside.

3. At 4.5 inches below the top of your lower sleeve piece, cut another straight line. Add seam allowances.

4. If you want to add cuffs, straighten out the bottom of the sleeve piece that is angled in and out for the hem. Here your just omitting small bit that angles in from the bottom of the sleeve. just cut straight down instead. 

5. Cut two cuffs. My cuffs were approximately ( 7″ x 5.5″) for a size six.

That’s it. Now we’re ready to sew. 

Assemble color-blocked pieces:

6. Using a 3/8″ seam allowance, stitch the front bodice top and front bodice bottom right sides together along the line you cut in step 1. Repeat for back bodice pieces. 

7. Again, using a 3/8″ seam allowance, stitch the top sleeve piece to the the middle sleeve piece along the line you cut in step 2.

8. Use a 3/8″ seam allowance to stitch the bottom of your middle sleeve piece to the top of your lower sleeve piece along the line you cut in step 3.

Finishing your color-block Lana:

9. Assemble top according to pattern instructions. If not adding cuffs, hem sleeves. 

10. Using a 1/4″ seam allowance, stitch cuff to itself along short edge. Repeat for second cuff. 

11. Fold cuff in half and attach to sleeve using a 3/8″ seam allowance. If you’ve never attached a cuff, check out this post for some photos and more detailed instructions. 

You’ve done it! Put on your cozy new Lana and enjoy!

I’ll leave you with a few notes on sizing for this specific top and what I’d do differently if I made this again. First, the inspiration picture shows a slouchier look than the one I’ve achieved here. I was between a 4 and a 6 in sizing and opted for a 6. Next time, I’d try an 8 or even a 10 for a true slouchy fit. I did end up adding 1 inch to the bodice length and think it turned out just right. Second, due to fabric restraints, I ended up adding a seam down the center of the lower bodice back. It’s not too noticeable, but next time I’ll make sure I have enough fabric to avoid this. 

Overall, I’m happy with the outcome of this top and see it being worn regularly throughout the coming months. The french terry is just warm enough to be comfortable for winter layering without the worry of overheating once I’m back inside a heated space. It was a quick, satisfying sew that made me feel good about using up some decent scraps. Since I usually use knit scraps for baby sewing, finding a way to use them for myself was quite rewarding. 

Thanks for reading! I’ll be back real soon with new makes and projects that have me feeling all the excitement.