Fun Fact: My nickname growing up (and that my parents and sister still call me) was Chrissy.
Much nicer than the Crystal Chandelier or Bow Wow I got at school.
She includes:
- Top, Knee, or Midi Dress Length
- Gathered or Smooth Skirt (below bust) options
- Optional Cami for modesty or nursing
- Optional binding or fold over elastic for cami straps
- No fastenings
- Ladies XXS to 5XL sizing
I paired my first top with my Paige Pencil Skirt, giving a more professional look to my outfit (or Shazam as those boots really rock!).
I used lightweight jersey (striped) and normal weight cotton lycra (plain fabric) from Water Tower Textiles, along with some scrappy European cotton Lycra filled with butterflies, flowers, and whimsy.
Note: the normal weight cotton lycra doesn't drape so well, so I don't recommend it for the front skirt if you opt for the ruching option - otherwise it will hang droopily and not be so flattering. The lighter the fabric for the Ruching portion, the more flattering and flowier it will be.
The bust portion requires NO fastenings and isn't going to be opening up on its own accord (yay!) - I did take 1" off the bodice portion as I'm 5'2" with a 35.5" full bust and 33.5" high bust. Since the pattern is graded for a C bust, this was a wise decision. I also learnt to reduce the bodice portion during my Meghan Wrap dress testing, where an inch of the height made all the difference of playing peek-a-boo or not.
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I love the ruching on my top - it's perfect for large meal days, and I feel comfortable and alluring in it. Due to the body con fit of the remainder of the top, it also gives me more confidence. And hey, it's ruching - which means it's awesome!
Again, look at my sleeves - I'm in love with this fabric I got during a blitz fast finger auction at Okee Dokee Canadian Fabrics a few months back. Sure it was a scrap, but I can do a lot with scraps, and rarely have anything created from just one fabric alone. This means lovely co-ordinates -and I want ALL the fabric, so buying 2 metres of one fabric means I miss out on 1 metre of another...I rarely buy 2 metres of consistent fabric - there's just too many to try out!
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My second top is pretty nerdy, but I love it.
The fabric is from Zenith and Quasar - a quirky fabric company based out of Tennessee. I won a Facebook sew-a-long recently, and part of my winnings included a lovely gift certificate to try out Z & Q.
Again - SO many fabrics, I opted for a surprise box (5+ yards of whatever they want to send me), and this nerdy cartoon organs (yes..like heart, lungs, kidney) and lime green super soft better-than-spandex fabric were calling to be made into Chrissy.
Fact: I used the cut off border from the custom fabric - the white band usually gets cut off, but I felt it made a good inbetween for the lime green and organs - so I left it on. I also lacked 1" of the organ fabric, so just went with it.
This is SOOO comfy in a softer silkier fabric vs my already comfy cotton jersey fabric version.
I'm thinking next season, it will be the perfect cycling jersey! Just add a water bottle pocket to the back, and voila. The ruching will hide my winter belly, and I'll be totally stylin' on the bike paths!
I also paired Chrissy with my amazing-butt Pippa pants.
Overall, it's an easy sew, the ruching is easier than you think, and fabric does make all the difference in the fit and feel.
You NEED a faux wrap top in your wardrobe - and you can't go wrong with Chrissy!
Sew On!
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