If you’ve seen the Ellie and Mac Autumn Spice Top before, you might notice that my version looks a little different. This shirt pattern has a ton of options including, most notably, the 3 piece color blocking through the bodice and sleeves. I just left off the very bottom pattern piece!
The top is supposed to be longer with a curved hem. But it was long enough with the top two pieces. And I sort of sneakily got away with not hemming on a curved hem!
Now, don’t get me wrong, the original pattern is super cute too (you can see it HERE). This is just a fun hack from the original. After all, sewing patterns are just a guideline anyway right?
Pattern Options
So, even if you’ve seen this pattern before, you probably know that it’s a color blocked shirt. But, did you know that there are 2 distinct options for where the color blocking starts on the bodice? The first color blocked piece can end at either:
- Above the bust
- Below the bust
I chose to make the above the bust version since for my top piece, I used a see through floral mesh fabric.
The other options this pattern has is the sleeves. Optional lengths are:
- short sleeves
- 3/4 length sleeves
- full length sleeves with cuffs
I chose short sleeves. And actually, did not even hem them for a super quick make. I didn’t hem the bottom of the shirt either! Knit fabrics like these do not fray, so leaving some things un-hemmed gives your clothes a fun look.
Sometimes, not hemming can leave things looking just, unfinished. So I do believe, the un-hemmed look has to be used in the correct applications.
Fabric
This shirt pattern is designed to have a relaxed fit. A fabric with good drape will probably work best for this top. And the pattern descriptions states that the pattern needs a fabric with 4 way, 50% stretch.
I used floral mesh knit fabric and a double jersey knit for my two fabrics. Both from Knitpop, which is an online fabric store that I love.
The striped jersey is a really fun fabric. It’s actually 2 layers of jersey that are connected back to back. So you can use the fabric’s “right side” or “wrong side” and both look like the right side. One side is a thin stripe which is the side I decided to use for this project. The other side is a thicker stripe in the same colors.
Other fabrics that would work well are rayon spandex, modal, bamboo lycra, and dbp.
More!
I do plan on making this shirt pattern again. I have no complaints about the drafting. The top fits really well on me. The sleeves are cut on the fold, which I know some sewists don’t love, but in a loose knit shirt like this, I don’t think that causes any fit or mobility issues.
It’s great to have some simple staple shirts in a wardrobe, and I think this is a great staple to wear with many different outfits. If you choose to add the 3rd and bottom layer of the pattern to the shirt, it would be a great one to wear with leggings.
Where to Find the Sewing Pattern
You can find this pattern on the Ellie and Mac website by clicking HERE.
This is a PDF sewing pattern. If you’ve never sewn using a PDF pattern before, you can check out my comprehensive guide to PDF sewing patterns post HERE.
If you make this pattern and love it, be sure to let me know in the comments below.
Happy Sewing!
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