Blue Fleece Wrap Top – Lekala

This is the second project I made using a Lekala pattern. The first one was the maroon wrap top I made in June 2017. I had made some mistakes in the measurements of that one, and so it ended up a bit tight. I decided to make another one with the same pattern, this time using polar fleece for a warmer top. Since the polar fleece is much thicker with a lot less stretch, it definitely wouldn’t fit the same way as the other one.

Second Lekala Project

According to my project page, I started making this at the beginning of August 2017 and finished it in October 2017. Quite a long time for a simple sewing project… I made it in the same way as the maroon top, lengthening the shoulder seams to shrink the neckline. I also sewed in the same little triangle in front for a modesty panel. However, I used the exact same template I created for the maroon top. Since the measurements of the fleece top were slightly larger, it looks like the triangle is a bit too small for it. You can see that the edges of the neckline in front are pulled in towards the triangle instead of lying smoothly. I realize that I should have tried it on and drafted a new triangle piece to fit the slightly larger size.

I chose this sparkly blue ribbon trim to finish the neckline and cuffs. It’s rather scratchy, and I think that on the neckline I should have sewn it a little away from the edge, like I did for the cuffs. That way it wouldn’t rub against my neck when I put it on and take it off. Like the maroon top, this has a simple folded hem for the bottom edge.

The fit is rather snug, but good. It is definitely a warmer top, although for me, it’s not quite warm enough for very cold days without extra layers.

My First Embroidery Project

Here is the part that took a long time. This is probably why I finished this project two months after I started it. I decided to add a little bit of hand embroidery here. This was my first and only actual embroidery project. I had previously been reading all about hand embroidery and stitches, but hadn’t practiced much.

First I started by sketching a little butterfly onto a piece of paper and cutting it out. I don’t remember all the details. I probably used the sketch as a sort of guide to mark the butterfly shape on my fabric, but I don’t know what I used to mark it. Since I wanted to try needle painting, I got white and three shades of pink for the wings for a nice gradient. If I recall correctly, I used a backstitch to outline the shape of the wings and body. Then I started filling it in, starting from the edges with the white. After the white came the lightest pink, then the darker pink, and finally the darkest pink which finished the wings. Then I used a satin stitch in brown for the three sections of the body.

I think the colors and stitches basically turned out pretty nicely. Obviously, it’s not the best embroidery. I didn’t use any stabilizer or a hoop. For some reason I didn’t think I needed to, but I realized I did. Since it wasn’t kept taut, part of it stretched and wrinkled. In another place, the stitches pulled it too tight in another place, resulting in a slightly disproportionate wing, a strangely shaped body, and a lot of wrinkles. That makes it look a little wonky. Next time I try some hand embroidery I will make sure my fabric is properly set up. Overall, I don’t think it’s too bad for my first try at embroidery.

Well, that’s about it for this Lekala project. Stay tuned for my next project!