Sportswear tops - but not quite!

 I made two new tops from scuba.

 

 

Yes I am holding my stomach in and I still have bulges!

 

 

The pattern is Lisette B6295. Leggings are made here. They are both meant to be exercise tops but I intend to use them as underwear. I use exercise tops most days as both an alternative to ordinary bras and an item to do sport in. So for me they are dual purpose and very much a part of my day-to-day wardrobe. 

These are not as tight as real exercise tops, for this reason, because it can be uncomfortable wearing the real thing all day long instead of a bra whereas these are minimally supportive and I think look really good. I previously made the leggings from this pattern. I really must make another pair because I love them though these tops will not be matching my leggings by any standards.

 

They are both made from bargain basement fabrics which to be honest I have had for ages and never got round to using. This is pretty heavy weight scuba crepe but actually works well when lined with powermesh. 

 

You can see the bright cornflower blue power mesh lining and the cross over woven back straps. They have a band of elastic at the bottom edge. I am not sure whether to turn this under a second time yet and shorten the top but will wear it first and decide if its comfortable after a day at work.
The black top is the same as the yellow but the photos were not as easy to see so I am just posting the yellow version here. I sewed the elastic a bit rubbish on the yellow version as you can see from the first photo and it pulls a little to one side - I never pinned properly and sewed uneveny stretched. Never mind this is underwear.

 

The beige mesh top was made ages ago but I found it kept rolling up at the wrists so I have added picot elastic at the neck and sleeve edges. It works well now and helps hide my post Christmas bulges. 

I have no idea if I ever posted this top but its just flesh coloured powermesh that I picked up cheap somewhere. 

You can see the sides are very low on both of these. Thats because I cut the size I am meant to be according to the packet. When I sewed this up its about 2 inches or 5cm too wide on BOTH sides so I took this in loads and its still large really. That suits my purpose and my comfort zone but really it means that from measuring my finished tops against the pattern pieces I am actually smaller than the XS which I find hard to believe. I will make another version eventually and check if thats correct.

I do like this pattern though suspect I am going to have to fiddle around a bit to get the next one to fit properly. The very low sides are great for underwear but not so good if I really want to do exercise in this I think. 

Then I had a go at another pattern. This I have to say I do not like at all. 

Generally I quite like the Rebecca Page patterns. They have really good instructions and I have learned a lot from using them but this exercise top does not work for me at all.

 

This is the Add-on pattern for the Rebecca Page Advanced bralette. I was really excited. I had been eyeing up the bralette pattern for some time. The Add-on has lots of pictures of lovely looking variations on a basic sports top. I had not made the original basic bralette but decided to dive straight in and try the add-on with a twist back.I had to take this one in in by 2 inches on each size as well so maybe there is something wrong with the way I do my measuring!

 

Again this ruins the shape and makes my arm holes very low. This doesn't matter for my purpose since I want these to use as comfortable underwear and not for the gym. Or if worn in the gym I will have a top over them.

Well what a disappointment!

 

I am not at all happy with my makes using this pattern. They look ok here when photographed flat, but they simply will not fit. I spent a full two weeks taking appart and remaking these. They are made with an overlocker so not an easy task. I still persisted. It was a complete waste of time and materials.

I made view G of this top with the twisted straps. I love the picture on the pattern and have wanted to make some item with twists for ages but not until now got round to it.

The orange fabric is a stretch lycra dress fabric (50% stretch and recovery so better stretch than the pattern says you need) the same as I made very successful sports leggings from. I cycle in these leggings regularly and have also used for ballet, pilates and yoga so a big success. So the problem is not the orange fabric!

Then the white and black fabrics are both swimwear fabrics so very stretchy (about 80%). Again I do not think its the fabric causing the issues. I also made the correct size for my measurements according to the instructions. In fact I did everything exactly as directed.

This top comes out a good 4 inches larger than my commercial RTW sports top.  Thats despite I made my recommended size. Of course I should have measured that RTW top as well before I began but I trusted the pattern designers.
 

I noticed another RP sewist has taken in the top by 22cm which is probably about how much smaller it should be on me as well I think. She also thought it was a sports top. Since its double layered its hassle to take in. I have already spent far too long messing around with these so easier to make another. From a different pattern entirely! Which turned out to be the Lisette.

Oh, and by the way this top measures exactly what the pattern says the finished top should do for my size so I think the sizing is way out to what it should be. At least if you want to use it for sport anyway.

The Rebecca Page Customer services team since told me its not meant to be an exercise top pattern but a " bralette" so worn over a bra. Weird if you ask me! Is a sports top not then a bralette? I thought all cropped tops these days were bralettes and this looks like a sports top. Its not styled like something you would wear a bra under so its deceptive when looking at the drawings of this.

This to me is a sports top and its depicted like that on the pattern.

If I go down two sizes I suspect it will still be too big for me to do sport in. Its also too big for underwear but the design suggests this would be the better of the two designs I made for sport. Not so.

 

There is minimal support despite being double layers due to the large sizing. This is as you can see a lined top. Looking at my RTW tops they are mostly single layer fabric and despite the modesty supplied with the second layer ( you cannot see the nipples!) I dislike that because its too hot to wear. I hate to think how hot this will be to do real exercise in!

I also do not care if people can see my nipples.

I may have a go at making a basic top from the original pattern without the add on ( its a racer back short top) to see if XXS will fit me. The thing is I am not an XXS. S maybe (sometimes) but never XXS. 

I think I will in future stick with single layers of fabric as well when making this kind of top. Thats not the fault of the pattern though. I knew it was lined when I started. I just never thought that much about the functionality of this.

The RP pattern actually suggests using a third layer which is powermesh. I think really you only need a top layer and a powermesh lining or if the style allows no lining at all.

 I feel I wasted a whole week sewing as well as the fabric I used. The black was particularly precious. I tend to pick up colours for very little money but usually have to pay full price for black lycra fabric and its not cheap!

Just look at the awful fit though!

 

The RP pattern was a complete waste of time, effort and fabric. If I was just starting out sewing this is the kind of project might put a stop to my hobby right now. 

After all theres no point making something you cannot wear in public due to it being so ill fitting.

I actually redid the back of the orange top a few times because it just was not right. It still gapes though.

 

I suppose could have worn these for lounging round the house with track pants, but do not want to be seen in public in either version of these. They were also not really very comfortable to wear. 

 

 I was toying with altering both of these to normal cross over back straps to see if that helps. In the end I ended up chucking both versions I made of this top.

 

Well I suppose you can't win them all!

 

Worst of all the cheapo fabric was made into the Lisette tops and the expensive fabric into the RP tops and they went into the bin! 

I will not be making any more of the RP pattern.

I nearly did not tell the world about these disastrous tops, but it seems fair to let people know the things that do not work as well as my successes to get the balance of how sewing really goes. In all honesty its a rare occassion something is so bad I give up and throw it away. This RP pattern is just not up to standard. The pattern looks great on the pictures. Really interesting with loads of options but the final top just looks amateurish and home made and it does not fit (me). 

If I had just made the one orange top I could put it down to my own sewing but when you get two tops like this in different types of fabric and you have followed the instructions religiously, its the pattern and not my own sewing this time. 

I am very disappointed. 

Never mind. 

Time to lick my wounds and move on to the next project!

 

On the other hand the Lisette pattern still came out too big but it was easy to adjust and I suspect the size problem with both patterns could be down to my measuring and maybe I am just smaller than I realised. Either way the Lisette pattern works even if I chose too large a size. It looks nice too and is comfortable. I will be making more of these.

   

Finally I made some new masks!

And yes I did leave my Christmas lights up. I am working from home full time so decide to add some light and magic to my home when its cold and dark in mid winter ( or not far past anyway!)

 

Stay safe

Bracken