I buy very few commercial patterns, but I’m a Sinclair Patterns fan because the only adjustment I usually need to make is to shorten the sleeves. Otherwise the fit is spot on. But I have really struggled to make the Xena top with built in bra, having started it over a year ago with the intention of making a wearable muslin for doing chores around the house and garden.
The problem was mostly not due to the pattern itself, it was largely due to the fabric I chose to use – a lovely cotton, striped, rib knit. What was I thinking? Rib knit? AND stripes? I must have been mad! If you decide to make the Xena, take my advice – don’t start with a striped rib knit! You can see from the back view that the horizontal stripes aren’t straight below the yoke, although I did manage to match the side seams fairly well.
I probably should have made a size 10 rather than my usual 8 in Sinclair patterns, because I found that the built in bra top is too short for me. The size 8 is drafted for a B/C cup, but the 10 is drafted for a C/D – the waist & hip measurements aren’t significantly different on such an easy-fit top. I have a similar bra top pattern by Simplicity, so I’ll use that as a starting point for comparison when I make my my next Xena.
I dithered for ages about how to finish the neck & armholes, because I would be combining the problematic rib knit with the duoplex I used for the bra top. In the end I bought some fold over elastic, which is where Maraflex thread came in handy as it allows the fabric to stretch as intended. The finish around the neckline is far from perfect: puckering is quite evident because of the gathered fabric at the front, but I’m not bothered about it enough to unpick & re-do it. I’m really pleased with the finish on the armscyes.
However, I feel that the armscye is a bit too low, as drafted, but shortening the top at the shoulder seam will take care of that.
And a note to self – RTFM! The top had languished in my UFO pile for a long time when I finally decided to give myself a kick up the backside & get it finished. I didn’t bother to look at the instructions again & I simply finished the hem, which was a complete nightmare in this fabric. It took 7 attempts, the final (only partially successful) attempt using Maraflex thread and stabiliser – but I stupidly used a non-stretch stabiliser so the hem was obviously quite stiff & just didn’t look right.
Only then did I discover that the top should have had a bottom band – doh! Luckily I hadn’t thrown the last of the fabric away in despair, and I was able to complete the top as drafted. It’s much better now, and definitely wearable for its intended purpose. It’s very comfortable and I love not having bra straps slipping down all the time. I will almost certainly make a casual summer dress at some point with Xena as the base pattern.
Although I’d purchased Maraflex thread a while ago, this was my first time using it on a project. For me, it was a game changer but I did have to experiment with it, and I found that the knack to making it work was to use a longer stitch length & a Microtex needle. For the record, my sewing machine is a Janome DKS100 so YMMV.
Fabric Engineering 