Maroon Wrap Top – Lekala Sewing Pattern

As I mentioned before in a previous post, when I first learned to sew, I started out drafting ill-fitting patterns. One day while searching for patterns I came across Lekala, a website with many computer-drafted patterns for both standard and individual measurements. I was super excited to find it, and I spent a long time looking through the catalog at all the patterns that appealed to me. Each pattern costs about $3.50 for a single size. Over the years I’ve made a number of their patterns, and I’m going to start sharing them here on my blog.

The first Lekala pattern I tried was this free wrap top. This was made in June 2017, so exactly three years ago. Since it was so long ago, I don’t have any better pictures of it besides the ones that I uploaded to my project page back then, and they are not particularly good quality. Unfortunately, after many wearings and washings, it no longer looks exactly like it did when I first made it.

This was essentially a test to see how these patterns were. I put my measurements into the form and downloaded the free pattern on letter-size paper to print out at home. I then printed all the pages, glued them together, and cut the pattern pieces out. There are options for different paper sizes, including a large one that can be printed from a print shop.

Easy Top

The project was pretty quick and easy. For this top I chose a soft stretchy T-shirt-like material in maroon. I assume it’s polyester or a poly-cotton blend; I don’t really know. This pattern features a wide, low neckline, which I wasn’t particularly comfortable with. So I started by lengthening the shoulder seams. I also added a small triangle piece in front for a sort of modesty panel.

I think I made some mistakes in the measurements and so this top actually ended up a bit tight. I’m pretty satisfied with how it turned out, though. I like the modified neckline and the basic shape of it, even though it was a bit tight. Over time the fabric has stretched and so it’s not as tight now.

I picked up this really cute pink heart trim at the store, and I thought it went really well with this maroon color. It makes for a very nice finishing touch on the neckline and cuffs. I finished the bottom edge by just folding it under and stitching with a twin needle.

Overall, I think it’s a pretty cute top and a decent fit. It goes well with a number of skirts I also made, including the pink one in the picture. I planned to try this top again after double-checking my measurements. My next Lekala project was a blue polar fleece top using the same pattern, which you can find here. I hope you enjoyed reading about my first experience with a Lekala custom sewing pattern.