Once I had the perfect golf skirt I needed an athletic, collared top to pair it with. And the GreenStyle Creations Pacific Pullover fit the bill perfectly. Thankfully, like the Pace Skirt, this pattern was also linked to fabric recommendations by The Fabric Fairy and I purchased both.

Since this was a .pdf pattern I had the copy shop file printed online and shipped to me. When I have enough lead time I much prefer this to printing patterns at home which, in my opinion, are less accurate to the original shape due to taping together many small sheets of paper. I prefer to block cut my patterns, pin them together at what would be the seam lines for my size, and fit the pattern to my body instead of making a toile. The problem to using this method with .pdf patterns printed on paper is that paper isn't nearly as flexible as tissue or fabric and it's difficult to get a good idea of fit.


My measurements ranged across the three smallest sizes and, with a rough pattern fitting, I decided to cut the pattern using a straight size small. I should have gone the extra mile here and done a pin fitting of my fabric pieces, instead of plowing ahead with sewing. Wrong decision! I quickly realized the top was going to be much too boxy for the fitted athletic look I was going for. I tried to make it work with a few small adjustments but ultimately needed to rip out what I had done and start fresh.

After ripping out all the seams, grading the pieces from a small in the hips to an extra extra small in the waist and an extra small in the bust, and reassembling the top I was much happier with the fit. As I sewed I tried to add extra finishing touches like grading seams, understitching, using stay tape in the shoulder seams and hem tape in the hem.



This pattern is drafted for someone 5'7" and I am 5'1" so I immediately removed 4" from the shorten line in the middle of the pattern pieces. This was far too much and I would only remove 2" in the future. Thankfully I plan to tuck this top into my Pace Skirt so it will still work for what I have in mind.

This was my first time sewing with supplex lycra and I'm glad it was so forgiving after all my seam ripping! It is said to be wicking, but with its microsueded back it was also a bit difficult to topstitch.



Ultimately I am really happy with this top and now that I have the fit issues figured out I can certainly see myself making a few additional versions of this top. When I do make it again I might try a more traditional finish to the collar piece as I don't find the twill tape the pattern called for forgiving enough.


Pattern: GreenStyle Creations Pacific Pullover
Size: XXS-Small
Fabric used: Beyond Tango Red Supplex Lycra Jersey Knit, 90% Hi-Wick Microfiber Supplex Nylon/10% Lycra
Time estimate: 8 hours (from the second start!)

Cost to make:
pattern - $10
pattern printing - $7.50
fabric - $14.50
thread and zipper - from my stash
TOTAL: $32

Last year I started joining my husband when he went golfing. I drove the golf cart, he golfed, and we both enjoyed escaping the city for a few hours. Golf quickly became something we enjoyed doing together and this year he talked me into getting my own set of clubs (I found a petite set!). Obviously I needed a new outfit to go with my new hobby and I quickly found GreenStyle Creations Pace Skirt, the perfect feminine athletic wear!

Week 1

This was the second year I participated in Me-Made-May and I had even more fun than the first year. Why you ask? I had so many more me-made garments to choose from this year and they were pieces that fit my personal style better. However, because I was working from home, I found that I wasn't wearing as many business or business casual garments as I did when I worked in a more traditional office setting.

Week 2

Focusing on wearing me-made, me-mended, and me-tailored items was a refreshing change of pace in my work from home wardrobe, which had admittedly become mostly active wear. I told myself I would work out each day and therefore needed to wear active wear, but in reality that only happened a handful of times in April. Putting on a nice blouse or dress each morning in May helped me focus on work and certainly looked better in all those video calls.

Week 3

What I love about Me-Made-May, in addition to the alliteration which makes my advertising heart beat, is the Midwest variety of weather - giving me opportunity to wear almost all types of garments I've made.

Week 4

What got multiple wears this year?

• Chai Tee in Rifle Paper Co. floral rayon
• Meg Top in Rifle Paper Co. floral rayon
• Ogden Cami(s) in Lady McElroy stretch crepe and JoAnn rayon

What did I wear this year and last?

• Fringe Dress in Rifle Paper Co. floral rayon
• M7542 in blue and white striped shirting from JoAnn
• S7705 vintage wrap dress in abstract New Rainbow Fabrics
• Blackwood Cardigan in jersey knit from Mood
• S5875 off-the-shoulder bamboo knit from Mood
• Halifax Hoodie in textured knit from JoAnn

I recently learned that the Greek independent pattern company AK Patterns names each of their patterns after a real sewist and shares a bit about that person in the pattern materials. How fun is that?! I was so thrilled to be selected to help test the Whitney, a wrap dress and top, not just because it is such a cute and feminine wrap, but because I adore my sewing friend Whitney. Whitney and I are both members of our local ASDP Chapter. She is always willing to help and is such an encouragement.

The Whitney is designed for knit fabrics making it very comfortable to wear and easy to fit. I made my Whitney wrap top out of a medium weight ponte knit knowing such a sturdy fabric would help the scallops keep their shape. In fact, I ended up not using any stabilizer in my scallops, ties, or facing  pieces because the fabric was so strong, and already quite heavy.


I found the pattern instructions for the Whitney very helpful and only made one slight adjustment when I sewed the scallops. Instead of using the drawing guide to outline the seamline on my scallops, I pinned the guide to the fabric and slowly sewed around the paper. After trimming, steaming, and using my clapper I love how they turned out.


My only critique is that when making this pattern again I would use ribbon for the interior ties. It was difficult for me to get the fabric ties turned inside out and sometimes I can see them through the exterior fabric.

Overall the Whitney top is a big win for me and my wardrobe. Made in a soft blush pink I plan to wear this most seasons, dressed up for work or down for casual date nights. The scallop feature makes this a pattern I would recommend for a moderate to advanced sewist.

fabric - $35
thread - from my stash
TOTAL: $47 value