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Four Sunny Tops for Sunny Days

The Sunny Dress + Top from Friday Pattern Company has arrived and I was intrigued by this simple, fitted tee. I recently made Papercut's Palisade Pants and Sew Liberated's Arenite Pants (post about those coming soon), and I thought a nice, fitted tee would be the perfect addition to these new wardrobe friends. Also, we just picked up some amazing new stretch fabrics in the shop, so I went a bit wild and made four Sunnys for summer! 
According to the pattern, I measure a size Medium at the bust and Large at the hips. Since the Sunny is fitted, I drafted between these two sizes to keep the ease the same throughout. Then, I played around with different details on each of the versions...

four panel grid of Amber in four different t-shirts, clockwise from top left, White short sleeved fitted tee, ticked in to pants, green just-below-elbow sleeve tee, rust stripe cap sleeve tee with pocket, charcoal grey half sleeve tee.

Charcoal Sunny
Pattern: Friday Sunny Top - tee sleeve and scallop hem
Fabric: 1 1/8 yards Superfine Merino Wool Jersey in Charcoal Mix
Size made: Medium Bust/Large Hip
Modifications: Nonegrey merino wool sunny topThis was the first Sunny Top I made, which inspired the Sunny bonanza. I really liked the fit right off the bat, and this pattern was cut out and stitched up so extremely fast! I felt like adding a few more to my wardrobe for quick and easy, everyday comfort.

sunny blouse side view in merino wool jerseyMy grey Sunny feels like the perfect, basic tee. The scalloped hem on the Sunny tee really makes it for me. It adds just enough interest to take this from a basic to a favorite. 

You might think wool is for winter, but this soft, light wool jersey is a wonderful choice for keeping you cool and dry in the summertime!

Rust Stripe Sunny
Pattern: Friday Sunny Top - cap sleeve and scallop hem
Fabric: 1 1/8 yards Bamboo/Org. Cotton Jersey Stripe in Rust
Size made: Medium Bust/Large Hip
Modifications: Added sleeve cuffs and pocket, and cut cuff and neckband perpendicular to the stripes. 
Ambers striped sunny top and blouseFor my second Sunny, I chose this sweet little rust-hued stripe. This very soft knit has plenty of stretch in all directions, so it was possible to cut my cuffs parallel to the selvedge, instead of across the fabric. That how I got the sweet vertical stripes on my neckband and sleeve cuffs. 
side view of amber's striped sunny blouse topTo make my sleeve cuffs, I cut a strip the same width as the neckband and about 1" shorter that the length of the sleeve edge. To make my pocket, I cut a 4" x 5" rectangle, hemmed the top at 1", and then turned under the remaining three edges before stitching it in place. 

Moss Sunny
Pattern: Friday Sunny Top
Fabric: 1 1/8 yards Bamboo Cotton Stretch Rib in Moss
Size made: Medium Bust/Large Hip
Modifications: Sleeve length lengthened 3"
amber's sunny top in moss green ribThis mini 1x1 rib knit is such a great basic. It is an ideal fabric for folks just jumping in to working with stretch fabrics. The rib is tiny, so it looks very much like a jersey. The rib construction makes it really stable and stretchy at the same time. It will not curl at all when you are sewing with it, and the widthwise stretch fantastic with great recovery. It makes attaching cuffs and neckbands a breeze.
rib knit sunny top side viewI decided to try a longer sleeve with this make, and I added 3" to the sleeve length. I tried out a little cross stitch pattern on my machine for the hems and neckline. The rib knit is a little heavier than the other knits and, dang, is it soft. I have a confession - I slept in this shirt the first day I wore it because it was too comfy to take off!

Natural Sunny
Pattern: Friday Sunny Top - tee sleeve and scallop hem
Fabric: 1 1/8 yards Bamboo Cotton Stretch Rib in Natural
Size made: Medium Bust/Large Hip
Modifications: Sleeve length shortened 3"
amber's cream sunny top in natural knitI had to make a second rib knit Sunny. I loved working with the rib fabric, and I really wanted an off-white fitted tee to go with my new Arenite pants. (Check back next week to hear all about those and see some fantastic twinning action!) The close fit of the Sunny Top allows it to be tucked into pants or skirt without having a lot of blousiness (is that a word?) around your waist. These make the perfect pair for keeping cool on the sunniest of days!
close up view of the knit neckline on amber's sunny top

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